115 



BRISTOL. 



BRISTOL. 



146 



favoured position among commercial towns. In the reign of 

 Henry III., on occasion of a visit by that monarch to Bristol, the 

 privilege of choosing a mayor and two prepositors was granted to the 

 burgesses. The functions of the prepositors from henceforth were 

 similar to those of bailiffs or sheriffs, into which offices their own 

 subsequently lapsed; and upon the mayor devolved the duty of 

 escheator to the king. The king frequently farmed out the revenues 

 of the town to individuals at a yearly rent for a short lease. The 

 trade of the port having outgrown the extent of the quay, which 

 stretched along the then bank of the river, the burgesses resolved to 

 cut a new course for the Avon. The ground necessary for the purpose 

 was ceded to the mayor and commonalty by the abbot of St. Augus- 

 tine's for the sum of 10 marks. In 1239 the work was commenced ; 

 it was completed about 1247. An extent of quay of about 2400 feet 

 was thus obtained, and the channel of the river was dug 18 feet deep 

 and 40 yards wide at a very heavy expense. About the same time 

 Redcliff or Radcleevc, on the Somersetshire side of the Avon, was 

 united to Bristol ; a wall was made to embrace the united town ; a 

 stone bridge was built from one to the other, and both shared in 

 forming the new harbour. Redcliff shortly became the seat of those 

 manufactories which from the 13th to the 16th century almost entirely 

 supplied England with cloth, glass, and soap. In the year 1243 it is 

 recorded that Bristol-made soap was first sold in London. 



During the unsettled state of the kingdom in the reign of 

 Edward II., the town was for some time held by the citizens against 

 the sovereign. The rebellion began in 1311 ; and the town held out 

 for the space of four years, during which time it continued to exist, a 

 little republic in the heart of a monarchy. The local government was 

 carried on according to its ancient form, except that the burgesses 

 held the authority of the castle at defiance, and, for their better 

 security, built against it a strong wall with forts, traces of which of an 

 immense thickness have been discovered in making excavations on its 

 site in Dolphin Street, anciently, from this fact, termed Defence Lane. 

 In 1332 the traffic of the port on which customs were levied 

 comprised live stock, agricultural produce and fish, wine, wool, skins, 

 linen cloths, and cloth of silk, ' Irish Qalway cloths,' salt, ashes, honey, 

 iron, lead, alum, brass, tallow, millstones, copper, leather, oil, and 

 wood. Various charters and protections were from time to time 

 awarded to Bristol ; these sometimes referred to the woollen manu- 

 facture. In the 27th of Edward III. a wool staple was fixed at 

 Bristol, and the ' cloth of Bristol ' acquired a high reputation. In the 

 47th of the same reign Bristol was made a county in itself; the 

 jurisdiction of the castle was confined to its own precincts, and 

 the independence of the town from any feudal rights was established. 

 The successive charters granted to Bristol were very numerous ; three 

 were granted during the reign of Richard II. By one granted in 1377 

 the townsmen are empowered to levy new duties on timber, coal, bark, 

 flax, hemp, pitch, tar, wax, pepper, fruit, almonds, and chalk. As 

 early as 1437 Bristol hod extended its commerce along the whole 

 west coast of England, to South Wales and Ireland, and to France 

 and Russia. At that date it appears that the commercial shipping of 

 Bristol comprised 66 ' ships ' and 64 ' boats.' The exports comprised 

 cloth, iron, glass, cutlery, honey, meath (mead), alum, pitch, wine, 

 salt, fish, and cardyg (corduroys). The imports were very much more 

 numerous ; among the most material were iron, Irish cloth, tin, skins 

 of lambs, goats, calves, sheep, &c., hides in barrels, fish, salt, wine, 

 oil, and fruit. These were the articles charged with customs or port 

 dues ; but the townsmen traded in numerous articles exempt from 

 imposts, and not included in this list. In 1442 the commons ordered 

 eight ships, having each 150 men, to keep the sea continually, of 

 which number Bristol was directed to furnish two ; and twelve years 

 after, when a fleet was ordered for the protection of trade, London 

 lent towards its fitting-out 300/. and Bristol 1501. 



On the accession of Edward IV. to the crown, 1461, he came, in 

 his progress through the western counties, to Bristol ; and after some 

 concession on the part of the townsmen, he confirmed to them all 

 their former privileges. In their negotiations the townsmen were 

 much aided by a wealthy merchant, William Canynges, of whom it is 

 recorded by William of Worcester that he employed for the space of 

 eight years 800 seamen, and every day 100 artificers. Among three 

 persons, to whom the honour of founding Redclitf church has been 

 ascribed, Canynges is one : the other two being his grandfather and 

 Simon de Bourton. From a charter granted by Henry VII., we learn 

 that the town then possessed a recorder, which officer and five others, 

 to be chosen by the mayor and common council, were appointed 

 aldermen, with powers equal to those exercised by the aldermen of 

 London. The merchants of Bristol entered with spirit into the 

 exploratory voyages of Sebastian Cabot, who was a native of the town. 

 In the reign of Henry VIII., among the suppressed religious houses 

 of the greatest note, were the monastery of St. Augustine, now the 

 cathedral church, and the hospital of the Gaunts, now the mayor's 

 chapel. Kenry VIII. founded upon the ruins of the abbey lands a bishop- 

 ric, the town having previously formed part of the diocese of Salisbury. 

 In the year following, 1546, a mint and a printing-press were set up in the 

 castle. Bristol contributed towards the fleet intended to oppose the 

 Spanish Armada. In 1609 Newfoundland was colonised from Bristol. 

 Bristol became early involved in the contest between Charles and the 

 merchants resecting ship money. The city was held by the Parlia- 



Oioo. DIV. VOL. II. 



mentarians. The castle was demolished by order of the Parliament 

 in 1656. In 1663 Charles II. visited Bristol. By an Act obtained in 

 1699 the corporation, for the better preservation of the river, extended 

 their jurisdiction 4 miles along the course of the Avon inward above 

 Bristol bridge. In 1793 Bristol was disturbed by riots having their 

 origin in a circumstance of local interest : they are spoken of as the 

 'bridge riots.' A disturbance of a much more disastrous nature 

 occurred in 1831, on the occasion of the visit of Sir Charles Wetherell 

 to Bristol. He was recorder of the city ; and his opinions which 

 were adverse to the Reform Bill gave origin to a^ commotion which 

 ended in a serious riot. On October 29th a lawless mob set fire to 

 the city prison, the Gloucester county prison, the mansion-house, and 

 the bishop's palace ; and during the ensuing night 45 more public 

 buildings, and almost as many private houses were destroyed. On 

 the following morning the military dispersed the mob after killing 12 

 persons, and wounding 96. The property destroyed was estimated at 

 200,000^.; and Bristol has ever since paid a rate of about 10,000?. a 

 year, in liquidation of the losses. 



Site, Aspect, Streets, Jic. The rivers Avon and Frome have their 

 course through Bristol the former being the larger river. The city 

 is built at about eight miles' distance from the mouth of the Avon ; 

 its site is for the most part a thick bed of sand, which generally yields 

 water at the depth of a few fathoms. Some portions of the city are 

 built on ground so steep as to render the formation of carriage-roads 

 almost impracticable. Kingsdown, St. Michael's Hill, and Brandon 

 Hill, rise nearly 250 feet above the level of the river. There are seven 

 eminences within the limits of Bristol, taking it in its greatest extent; 

 and the streets are built on these eminences and in the hollows between 

 them. Bristol is nearly ten miles in circumference. Several Acts of 

 Parliament have been obtained during the last thirteen years, con- 

 ferring the necessary powers for carrying out various public improve- 

 ments in the city, by the formation of new streets, providing a 

 sufficient supply of water, &c. 



Public Buildlngt and Irutitviiont. There are about forty churches 

 and chapels belonging to the Establishment in Bristol, Bedminster, 

 and Clifton ; and about an equal number of places of worship belong- 

 ing to Roman Catholics, Independents, Baptists, Wesleyan Methodists, 

 Calvinistic Methodists, Quakers, Unitarians, and Jews. The church 

 of St. Mary Redcliff has been long admired as a grand example of 

 gothic architecture. It is supposed that this church was built at four 

 different periods, ranging between 1200 and 1400. It is considered 

 by many to be the finest parish church in England. The tower reaches 

 to a height of about 200 feet. The north porch is a rich specimen of 

 the decorated style, but had fallen considerably to decay, when in 

 1848 a subscription was commenced which led to the adoption of a 

 plan for the entire restoration of the church. A society has since 

 been established, under the name of the Canynge Society, to carry 

 out the restorations as fast as funds can be provided, and to issue 

 annual reports relating to the progress of the works. 



The cathedral church, anciently part of the Abbey of St. Augus- 

 tine, possesses one of the finest Norman gateways in the kingdom. 

 The church contains fine monuments by Chantrey and Baily. St. 

 Stephen's church was rebuilt about 1465, on the site of a much older 

 edifice. Its chief ornament is the tower, 133 feet high, which is a 

 fine example of the perpendicular style. The Temple church was 

 founded in the reign of Stephen by the Knights Templars ; but the 

 date of the present structure is not known. The Temple Meads, being 

 part of the lands belonging to the house of the Knights Templars, 

 were exempt from tithes, and remain so to this dny. All Saints, or All 

 Hallows, was one of the most ancient churches in Bristol, but the 

 present structure was erected about 1470. St. Augustine the Less 

 was founded by the abbots of St. Augustine's Monastery as a chapel 

 for the accommodation of the inhabitants who had erected houses 

 within the precincts of the monastery : the present structure was 

 built in 1480 ; it was improved in its interior arrangements in 1843. 

 St. James's church was built and consecrated as early as 1130; the 

 tower was added and the church made parochial in 1 374. The nave and 

 north aisles are parts of the original Norman structure. This church has 

 recently undergone extensive restorations. The church of St. John the 

 Baptist consists of but one aisle, and is the smallest in Bristol : it was 

 built about the middle of the 14th century ; considerable alterations 

 have been recently made in this building. The Mayor's Chapel, for- 

 merly the collegiate church and hospital of the Virgin Mary and 

 St. Mark, is a small but highly-enriched structure, with numerous 

 effigies and monuments. The church of St. Philip and St. Jacob is 

 supposed to have been erected some time before 1 200 ; the venerable 

 structure being much dilapidated was recently repaired. St. Thomas's 

 church has a tower which was built in the 12th century. Bristol is 

 thus particularly rich in old churches, nearly all of which have been 

 more or less restored within the last few years, chiefly by means of 

 private subscriptions. Several new churches have been built since 

 1836. Of the three Roman Catholic chapels in the city, one opened 

 in 1843 is a beautiful structure. Many of the chapels of Protestant 

 Dissenters have been erected within the last few years. The Jews' 

 synagogue was, previous to 1842, a Quakers' meeting-house. 



The Free Grammar school was founded in 1532 by Robert Thome. 

 The endowment has recently undergone a Chancery investigation, the 

 result of which was that in 1848 the school was reopened on a very 



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