II 



ENGLISH CHANNEL. 



KNN1SKII 



911 



of it* own. who, although nominally subject to the Eogliib monarch, 

 took the title of king* till 952. Aftrr thin iU rulen were only desig- 

 nated carl ; the district forming sometime* one earldom, sometimes 

 two, under the name* of Bemicia and Deira, or Northumbria and 

 York. It was not till come time after the Norman Conquest that the 

 territories which had formed thi* Saxon state came to be considered 

 as strictly included within the realm of England. 



6. East Anglia, including Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and part of 

 Bedfordihirr, founded by Uffa, whose followers were Angles, and from 

 whom the kings of this state took the name of Uffingas, A.K 571. 

 The East Angle* placed themselves under the sovereignty of Egbert 

 - vx about the year S23, but they continued for some time after 

 this under the immediate government of their own king*. The country 

 was conquered by the Danra in 888; and it was not completely 

 brought back under subjection to the English crown till after the 

 Pension of Athrlstane in 925. From this time it appeara to have 

 been governed by ealdermen, or dukes. 



T. Mercia, including the counties of Chester, Derby, Nottingham, 

 Lincoln, Shropshire, Stafford, Leicester, Rutland, Northampton, 

 Huntingdon, Hen-ford, AVorcester, Warwick, Gloucester, Oxford, Buck- 

 ingham, and parts of Hertford and Bedford, said to have been founded 

 by Crida, whose followers were Angles, A.D. 585. About the middle 

 of the 7th century Mercia was conquered byOswio, king of Northum- 

 bria ; but after a few years it recovered its independence ; and before 

 the end of the next century it hod reduced to subjection both the 

 neighbouring states of East Anglia and Kent. It was eventually 

 subjugated however about the year 825, by Egbert of Wessex, and 

 although for some time considered as a separate kingdom, it continued 

 ever after dependent upon that state, with the exception of a short 

 period in the latter part of that century, during which it was overrun 

 and taken possession of by the Danes. 



This assemblage of states has been commonly called the Heptarchy, 

 for which Mr. Turner has proposed to substitute the Octarchy, on the 

 ground that Deira and Bernicia ought to be considered as two distinct 

 kingdoms. But in truth it may be doubted if there ever was a time 

 when so many as seven of the states co-existed separately and indepen- 

 dently. Various mall districts also appear to have for longer or 

 shorter periods preserved an all but nominal independence in the 

 midst of the larger states, to some one or other of which they were 

 severally considered ss annexed. Such were the Isle of Wight ; the 

 Suthrige, or Southern Kingdom, now Surrey ; the district of Hwiccas, 

 or Magesettam, which was conterminous with the ancient bishopric 

 of Worcester; and others, of which the annals were for the first 

 time collected by Sir Francis Palgrave. But above all it would be 

 difficult to show that either term is perfectly admissible, if it be 

 intended to imply (as in strict propriety both heptarchy and octarchy 

 would seem to do) that the several states were all connected together 

 into any sort of union or confederacy ; that they formed in fact any 

 political system entitled to be designated by one word at all. We 

 know that they were constantly at war with one another, and of the 

 existence of any general controlling authority, except such as one 

 king was occasionally enabled to maintain over the rest by his sword, 

 their history affords no trace. To certain of the kings however by 

 whom thi- temporary supremacy appears to have been asserted in the 

 most marked manner, Bede, and after him, the Saxon Chronicle, have 

 attributed the title of Bretwalda, that is, as it has been interpreted, 

 Wielder, or Emperor of Brittin ; and it is probable that a species of 

 superior honour and dignity, such as this title would imply, may have 

 been claimed by the princes in question, and accorded to them by 

 those of their neighbours whom they had brought under subjection, 

 or who, although unsubdued, preferred not to provoke their enmity. 

 Upon the whole, the title of Bretwalda cannot well be regarded as 

 any thing more than an ostentatious and empty assumption on the 

 part of some of the Saxon kings, or an epithet of distinction bestowed 

 upon them by the flattery of the chroniclers. It certainly carried with 

 it no real or legal authority. 



ENGLISH CHANNEL, called by the French La Manche, is that 

 narrow sea which separates the southern shores of England from 

 the northern shores of France. On the west it opens into the Atlantic 

 Ocean by a wide mouth, between the Land's End and the French 

 island of Cshant (Ouissant), where it is about 100 English miles 

 crow. On the east it is united to the North Sea by the Strait of 

 Dover (Pas de Calais of the French.) West of the Strait of Dover 

 the Channel rapidly increase* in width ; and between Brighton and 

 Havre is more than 90 miles across. Farther west however it is 

 narrowed by the peninsula of Cotentin, which projects from the 

 French coast into the Channel, and terminates in Cape de la Hogue, 

 Ha most north-western point West of the peninsula is the widest 

 part of the Channel, which between St. Alban's Head in Dorsetshire 

 and the harbour of St. Ilalo is nearly 140 miles across. The 

 remainder of the Channel to its junction with the Atlantic is between 

 100 and 110 miles wide. 



It appears certain that a current from the west is generally, if not 

 constantly, running up the Channel. This is evident from the eastern 

 tide* being stronger than the western or ebb tides, and their running 

 longer in stormy weather from the west. It is also observed, that 

 at the same time the surface of the Channel is raised two fort or 

 more above that of the North Sea, and consequently discharges a great 



quantity of water into that sen. The port* of the Channel are some 

 per in strong westerly winds than at ordinary times. Tho 

 French ports along the Channel are shallow, and none of them are 

 deep enough to admit men-of-war, while England has some of its 

 finest harbours on the coast-line of the channel The French govern- 

 ment has for a series of years made efforts to deepen the harbour of 

 Cherbourg on the French coast of the Channel. [CBlBBOtnu.] Thu 

 Channel is well stocked with fish, which give* constant <-- 

 a considerable number of fishermen on the coasts of England and 

 France. 



I NCUSH HARBOUR. [ANTIGUA.] 



i:\NIS, county of Clare, Ireland, a market and assixe town, a 

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

 Union, in the parish of Dromcliffe, is situated on the ri v. . 

 52 50' N. lat, 8 C 58'W. long; distant 115 miles S.\V. 

 Dublin. The population in 1851 was 7840, besides (MS in the 

 Union workhouse and other public institutions. Ennis is gu<. 

 by 21 town commissioners, and returns one member to 1 

 Parliament. Eunis Poor-Law Union comprises 20 electoral div 

 with an area of 112,490 acres, and a population in 1851 of 40,345. 



The name of the place was originally Ennis Cluanruadha, so called 

 from Clouroad, a favourite dwelling place here of the O'Briens, lords 

 of Tliomond. In 1240 Donogh Carbrac O'Brien built a monastery 

 at Ennis for Franciscan friars, of which the ruins are M 

 The town contains some good houses, but has altogether a 

 appearance. Besides the parish church the town contains chapels for 

 Roman Catholics, Independents, and Wesleyau Methodists ; the court- 

 house, the county jail, the infirmary, two hospitals, a workhouse, a 

 market-house, and a town-hall A short distance from the town id 

 Ennis College, one of the four classical schools founded by Erasmus 

 Smith. There is a moderate trade in grain and cattle. There are a 

 brewery, large flour-mills, and a valuable limestone quarry, 

 was incorporated by charter of James I. Fairs are held in 

 and September. In the vicinity of the town are several good 

 mansions. 



(Fraser, Handbook of Ireland; Thorn, frith Almanac.) 



ENNISCORTHY, county of Wexford, Ireland, a mark, 

 corporate town, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, chiefly in the. 

 parish of St. Mary's of Enniscorthy, and partly in the parish of 

 Templeshannon, is situated in 52 35' N. lat, 6 85' W. long. ; d 

 13 miles S.S.E. from Wexford, and 65 miles S.S.W. from Dublin. 

 The population in 1851 was 5993, besides 1735 inmates of public 

 institutions. The town is governed by 21 commis.-ioners. I 

 corthy Poor-Law Union comprises 33 electoral divisions, with an area 

 of 196,689 acres, and a population in 1851 of 53,862. 



Knnisoortliy dates from the erection of a castle here by Raymond 

 le Gros, one of the early Anglo-Norman conquerors. ( it-raid d- 

 dergast, another Anglo-Norman noble, founded a monastery hero for 

 Augustinian friars about 1230; and Donnell Cavanagh, tin lrinli poten- 

 tate, founded a Franciscan convent for friars of the strict observance 

 in 1460. Some ruins of both edifices still remain. The castle is in 

 good preservation. It consists of u square keep flanked by i 

 towers, and stands at the west end of the bridge, on the bank of the 

 Slaney. Enniseorthy was taken by Cromwell in 1649. It was stormed 

 and burned by the Irish rebels in 1798. 



The town is situated on rising ground on both banks of the river 

 Slaney, which is here navigable for sloops. The bridge which crosses 

 the Slaney and connects the two ports of the town is a neat stone 

 structure of three arches. Besides the church, which is a ]>!ain 

 building, the town contains a Roman Catholic and a Methmli-t 

 chapel, a Quakers' meeting-house, a court-house, market-house, work- 

 bouse, and hospital ; also a presentation convent Enuiscortlr 

 Bosses a good retail trade ; and nearly all the corn of the county of 

 Wexford passes through its market Coal, timber, iron, liui< 

 &c., are brought up by the Slnney from Wexford. Two quays, whit-h 

 facilitate the trade, were constructed chiefly at the expense of tin- 

 Ear! of Portsmouth. A factory for flannel, frieze, and blanket 

 a large brewery and distillery afford employment A market i - 

 three times a week; and a fair every month. r'nniscorthy was 

 incorporated by charter of the llth James I. The vall- 

 which the Slaney flows is exceedingly rich and fertile and the IK 

 on its banks both above and below the town of Knniscortliy is 

 very beautiful. In the vicinity of the town are several pleasant 

 villas and mansions. 



(Frn- ,k of Ireland ; Thorn, Iriih Almanac.) 



KNN1SKI1.I.KN, oounty ..f Fermanagh, Ireland, chiefly in the 

 parish of Kuuiskillen, but partly in the parish of Rossory ; a market- 

 town, the capital of the county, a municipal and |>arliamentary bri 

 and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is situated in 54 22' N. lat, 7 38' 

 W. long., distant 81 miles N.W. from Dublin. The population in 

 1851 was 5792, besides 869 inmates of public institutions. The town 

 is governed by 21 town commissioners, and returns one member to the 

 Imperial Parliament Enniskillen Poor-Law Union comprises 42 

 electoral divisions, with an area of 203,610 acres, and a population in 

 1851 of 53,548. 



Enniskillen is well built and beautifully situated. The prim-i]>iil 

 part of the town is built on an island on Lough Krne, and two bridp 1 * 

 connect the island, which is covered to the water's edgo with the 



