10-3 



BEVERLEY. 



BEWDLEY. 



1074 



from York, and 180 miles N. from London : the population of th 

 municipal borough in 1851 was 8915, of the parliamentary borougl 

 10,058. The town is governed by six aldermen and eighteen coun 

 cillors, one of whom is mayor ; and returns two members to th 

 Imperial Parliament. The living of Beverley Minster is a perpetua 

 curacy ; St. Mary's is a vicarage held with the rectory c 

 St. Nicholas ; they are hi the archdeaconry of the East Riding an 

 diocese of York. Beverley Poor-Law Union contains 36 parishes an 

 townships, with an area of 78,218 acres, and a population in 1851 

 of 20,646. 



The ancient history of Beverley is obscure. The tract of country 

 from the Humber to the Tyne was in early tunes occupied by the 

 Brigantes ; and there are some indications of there having been 

 British settlements in the vicinity of Beverley. Historians whose 

 writings are generally received as authentic date the origin o" 

 Beverley at A.D. 700. 



The woods and marshes of Deira lay immediately to the north o 

 the Humber. These marshes are supposed to have been lakes or meres 

 whenever the river Hull overflowed the country. That there have 

 been many such meres in Holderness and the adjacent country is 

 evident not only from the appearance of the district but also from 

 the names of many places within its limits, as Woodmansea, Rotsea, 

 Honiara, &c. There is still a large mere at Hornsea. The termina- 

 tion tea (or tey, as it is also spelt) is nearly synonymous with mere. 

 (Young and Bird's 'Geological Survey of the Yorkshire Coast." 

 Beverley also takes its name from one of these lakes- 'Beverlac,' the 

 lake of beavers, " so named from the beavers with which the neigh- 

 bouring river Hull abounded." 



In the early part of the 8th century, John, archbishop of York, 

 dedicated a church which he founded at Beverley to St. John the 

 Baptist ; and he afterwards converted it into a monastery. Towards 

 the close of the 8th century the church and monastery suffered from 

 the ravages of the Danes. Athelstan visited the church of Beverley 

 on his route northward to punish the bad faith of Constautine, king 

 of Scotland. He placed himself under the protection of the sainted 

 John of Beverley, returned from his expedition victorious, and in 

 gratitude to his patron saint conferred great privileges and rich 

 possessions on the church of St. John. This was probably about 

 937-8. Athelstan granted a charter to the townsmen of Beverley, 

 exempting them from certain tolls, and conferring upon them 

 important privileges, in allusion to which the following distich is to 

 be seen in the Minster church, between the pictures of Athelstan, the 

 founder, and St. John of Beverley, the patron-saint of the church : 

 " Ala free, make I the 



As hert may thynke, or eyh can see." 



The charter of Athelstan was confirmed, or similar ones were 

 granted, by succeeding kings. Of these rights and privileges the 

 people of Beverley were very careful, and applied for a ratification of 

 them on the accession of every new sovereign. 



Beverley was a manufacturing town at an early period, and it is 

 mentioned as one of the towns which might " freely buy and sell 

 dyed cloths." It is probable that the arts of weaving and dying were 

 carried on at Beverley, woad and wool being two of the articles 

 which paid a toll when taken there for sale. The rise of Hull about 

 the commencement of the 1 4th century interfered with the advance- 

 ment of Beverley, as it offered greater facilities for domestic and 

 foreign commerce. To promote the interests of Beverley, a charter 

 incorporating the town was procured in the 15th year of Elizabeth, 

 and the right to send two burgesses to represent the burgesses in 

 Parliament was acknowledged. A printing-press was established in 

 Beverley in the year 1509 by Hugo Goes, supposed to be the son of 

 a printer of Antwerp, but as he soon after removed to London, it has 

 been presumed that he received little encouragement to remain at 

 Beverley. During the civil wars in the time of Charles I. and Crom- 

 well, Beverley was by turns subjected to the exactions of each party. 

 It was here that Sir John Hotham was arrested by his nephew, on 

 his night from Hull, " as a traitor to the commonwealth." Sir John 

 had represented Beverley in several successive parliaments. Shortly 

 after his arrest he and his son were executed on Tower-hill. 



The modern town of Beverley is considerably more than a mile 

 from its commencement on the road from Hull to its outskirts on the 

 Driffield road. The town is clean and well built; the principal street 

 is wide and airy. The market-place, which comprises an area of 

 nearly four acres, is ornamented with an octangular market-cross. 

 Situated in the centre of an agricultural district, its present 

 commerce is chiefly confined to tanned leather, oatmeal, malt, corn, 

 and coals. There are a large colour and whiting manufactory, an 

 iron foundry in which agricultural implements are extensively made, 

 team Haw-mills, and a ship-building yard. The shambles in a modern 

 building of brick, part of which has been converted into a corn 

 exchange. Beverley communicates with the river Hull by a canal, 

 about one mile in length, called Beverley-Beck. 



The finest object in Beverley is the collegiate church of St. John, 



commonly rail. 1 Mi' Minster church. This edifice exhibits examples 



i ly, decorated, and perpendicular English styles of architecture. 



The principal window at the east end in xM to lx> copied fmm that 



of V.irk. Its jointed arch U divided by mullions, which are 



strengthened by parallel ones on the inside; these bear a small 



Ul/j'l. WV. VOL. I. 



gallery connected with the transoms, which divide the lights into two 

 portions. The entrance to the nave on the north side is by a porch of 

 exquisite beauty ; it has a panelled front which is perhaps unequalled. 

 Of the west front Mr. Riekrnan says, that "what the west front of 

 York is to the decorated, so is this to the perpendicular style, with 

 this addition, that in this front nothing but one style is seen, all is 

 harmonious." The length of the Minster is 334 feet ; the breadth of 

 the nave and the side aisles is 64 feet ; the transepts are 167 feet long. 

 The height of the nave is 67 feet ; the west towers are 200 feet high. 

 The celebrated Percy Shrine, which is within the choir, is an elegant 

 specimen of the decorated style, and of most exquisite workmanship. 

 The Minster is kept in repair from the proceeds of chantries and 

 lands, granted by Queen Elizabeth from the former property of the 

 church, and from special bequests for that object. The entire 

 exterior as well as the interior of the Minster was restored under the 

 care of Mr. Coinins, about. 28 years ago. It is now in excellent 

 condition. 



St. Mary's church is an exceedingly handsome and spacious gothic 

 building, with an elegant tower at the intersection of the cross. It 

 is of the transition period from Norman to early English, with many 

 later and curious additions. Its repairs are provided for by the 

 proceeds of its estates, which yield about 800?. per annum. There 

 were formerly two other churches in Beverley, but they no longer 

 exist. In ancient times there was a monastery of Black Friars, and 

 another of Franciscans or Gray Friars, an establishment of Knights 

 Hospitallers, and other religious houses for private retirement, and 

 for the relief of the poor and infirm. A chapel at Lair Gate, dedi- 

 cated to St. John, is a chapel-of-ease to the Minster; it contains 

 about 850 sittings. 



The most ancient Dissenting meeting-house in Beverley is the 

 Independent chapel. The present building was erected in 1800, but 

 one which existed prior to it was built in 1700. The Wesleyan and 

 Primitive Methodists, Baptists, and Quakers have places of worship. 



At Beverley is a Grammar school of great antiquity. The date of its 

 foundation is undiscovered. The government is in the hands of the 

 corporation, by whom the master is appointed. The school possesses 

 a small endowment, consisting of a rent-charge of 101. per annum, 

 bequeathed by a Dr. Metcalf. Sons of freemen pay for the classics 

 and mathematics Gl. 6s. per annum, in quarterly instalments. English 

 grammar, writing, and arithmetic are taught for 21. per annum addi- 

 tional. The school is under the charge of a head master and four 

 other teachers. The number of pupils in 1852 was 48. A library 

 of about 1000 volumes, including many valuable books, is attached 

 to this school. By endowments of various benefactors the school 

 possesses several exhibitions to St. John's college, Cambridge. The 

 Rev. James Graves, formerly curate at the Minster, bequeathed 

 upwards of 2000/. to be invested in the public funds for the education 

 of the children of the poor of St. Martin's parish. Schools were 

 accordingly commenced in 1810, in which 80 boys and 80 girls are 

 instructed on the National system. The proceeds of the fund also 

 lartly support the Minster girls' school, containing about 85 girls, and 

 an Infant school at Potterhill. A National school for boys, com- 

 menced in 1815, is attended by upwards of 200 children. Besides 

 ihese there are several other National, British, and Infant schools. 

 A Blue-Coat school, established in 1709, maintains, clothes, and 

 educates 8 pupils. There are in Beverley a mechanics institute, 

 a news-room, a savings bank, and a dispensary. There is a handsome 

 railway station in connection with a branch of the York and North 

 Midland railway. 



The [.own contains numerous charitable institutions, including 

 almshouses, hospitals for widows and old men, donations of coal, 

 clothing, and money, distributions of bread at regular and frequent 

 ntervals, and other gifts and charities. The freemen of the borough 

 -njoy each the right of common for a certain number of cattle over 

 xn area of about 1200 acres of fertile land at a small charge. 



The worthies of Beverley especially deserving of notice are, John 

 if Beverley ; Alured, Aired, or Alfredus, the historian ; John Alcock, 

 uccessively bishop of Rochester, Worcester, and Ely ; John Fisher, 

 >ishop of Rochester; Bishop Green, who was a benefactor to the 

 51ue-Coat school ; and several other persons of minor note. 



Amongst the public buildings of Beverley are the Sessions House, 

 he East Riding House of Correction, and the Register Office. The 

 lessions House is situated without the North Bar, on the approach to 

 .he town from Malton. The House of Correction cost about 42,000?. 

 'he Register Office is for the registry of deeds, conveyances, wills, 

 ;c., affecting " honors, manors, lands, tenements, or hereditaments " 

 within the East Riding. A county court is held at Beverley. 

 (Poulson's Beverlac; Communication from Beverley.) 

 BEWCASTLE. [CUMBERLAND.] 



BEWDLEY, Worcestershire, a municipal and parliamentary 

 jorough and market-town in the parish of Ribbesford, and lower 

 ivision of the hundred of Doddingtree, is situated on the right bank 

 f the Severn, in 52 22' N. lat., 2 18' W. long., 15 miles N.W. from 

 iVorcester, and 129 miles N.W. from London by road, via Worcester : 

 lie population of the municipal borough of Bewdley in 1851 was 

 124, of the parliamentary borough 7318. The town is governed 

 y four aldermen and nine burgesses, one of whom is mayor, and 

 eturns one member to the Imperial Parliament. The living is 



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