BAT 



23 



B A T 



of Queen-square, the Crescent, and Circui, were built ultout 

 tliu middle or the lut century, from designs uf the two 

 i .111 ).>t l.irty yoars have hardly produced a build- 

 any architectural value, though the raaten 

 building arc cheap, and the (tone U worked with great dMtt. 

 The architecture of the later building* ia generally of a 

 bald character. 



The city ia governed by a corporation, under charter* 

 in-anted by Queen Elizabeth, Sept. 4, 1590, and by George 

 III . 1794. The first of these charter* direct* 'that tin- 

 corporation shall consist of a mayor, aldermen, not exceed- 

 ing in number ten, nor fewer than four, and a common 

 council of twenty members. There are. also a recorder, 

 town-clerk, and two sergeanU-at-mace. The local court of 

 record has cognizance of all personal actions whatsoever 

 arising within the city and its suburbs or precincts, without 

 restriction as to the amount of the sum in dispute. The 

 non-residence, however, of the recorder, the legal adviser of 

 the magistrates and one of the presiding judges; the attor- 

 neys of the court being the two sergeants-at-mace and un- 

 professional persons ; and the ease with which a cause may 

 be removed to any of the superior courts, by writ of cer- 

 tiorari or habeas corpus, destroy all its advantages. A 

 court-leet, and court of quarter-sessions are also held by 

 the magistrates, who, though without power to try persons 

 charged with felonies under the charter of the city, arc 

 perhaps enabled to try them under the 4 and 5 Will. IV. 

 c. 27, sec. 3. By the charter of 1794, eleven instead of two 

 members of the corporation are empowered to act as jus- 

 tices of the peace within the city. The members of the 

 corporation, though self-elected, must be chosen from the 

 freemen ; and as the freemen by purchase were consi- 

 dered to have a claim to be elected before the freemen 

 by servitude, the price of the freedom, shortly before the 

 Reform Act passed, was 250/. The property of the body 

 is very extensive, including lands and houses in the best 

 part of the city ; all the hot-springs but one ; nearly all 

 the cold-springs which supply the town with water ; and 

 the tolls of the market; altogether producing, in 1832, a 

 rental of more than 12.000/. per annum. In 1832 the public 

 debt of the corporation amounted to 55.8G3/. 



The charter boundaries of the city include part of the 

 parishes of Walcot and Bathwick, and the parishes of St. 

 Peter and St. Paul, St. James, and St. Michael. The 

 parliamentary boundaries of the city, under the Boundary 

 Act, include, in addition, the remaining parts of the parishes 

 of Walcot and Bathwick, and the parish of Lyncombe and 

 Widcombe. The new limits comprised, in 1831, a popu- 

 lation of 50,800 persons (21,035 males and 29,705 females), 

 charged with assessed taxes to the amount of 62.000/. 

 a-year ; 331 acres of ground, and above 7000 houses, more 

 than 5000 of which were taxed at the annual value of \0l. 

 The power of electing the parliamentary representatives ol 

 the city was formerly in the corporation only. Under the 

 Reform Act, the number of registered electors, in each ol 

 the last three years, has been about 2800. The inhabitants 

 of Bath are exempt from serving on tho juries of the county. 

 A community of Religious existed here from the earliest 

 ages of Christianity in Britain, who had their house near to 

 the springs and batiks. The constitution of the society 

 underwent several changes, and at last tho house and all it's 

 possessions, which were extensive anil valuable, were sur- 

 rendered to the crown by William Holloway, the last prior, 

 June 29, 1539. What is now culled tin 4bbe; Church was 

 the church of this community, and was connected, on the 

 south Hide, with the conventual dwellings. An older church 

 having fallen into decay, the building of the present ediiice 

 was begun by Bishop Oliver King, in the reign of Hcnn 

 VII., at the time of whose death it was unllnished, iu.! 

 continued to be so when the priory was ehssohcd. Allti 

 h.i\ing been in n dilapidated state for many years, its re- 

 pair was undertaken by Chapman, in 1 572, continued by the 

 munificence of Thomas Bullot, steward of the household of 

 Queen Elizabeth, and was nearly completed by Bishop 

 Montague, about the year ICO'J. This edifice is of the 

 shape of a cross, with a very handsome tower rising from 

 iili,'. Its length from east to west is 210 fed, ami 

 fr >m north to south lie. The west front is decorated with 

 numerous figure*, now murh impaired by time, intended to 

 ruprcM-nt .1;. '-..h's dream. The east window is remarkable 

 for I til very lately appropriately 



aupportcd b;, two square tower*, which h.nc i>ccii en: 

 irto ill-designed octngunal pinnacle*. Tin; building iUcll 



U an example of tho pointed -t>U' nt the latest pcrUI MI 

 which it pre\ ailed, and was completed with L'I< at simplicity 

 and taste. In 1834 its whole dr-ign ami charnclcr \\rre 

 materially changed, and its most peeuh. - <le 



i. The inii lufigured by the multitude 



of monuments with which it is covered. It is the parish 

 church of the parish of St. Peter itnd Si. Paul. 



The ecclesiastical division of Bath is into the pr 

 already named, each of which has it .1 church. 



There are also the following chapels connected with tin' 

 Established Church : Queen Square, Margant's. All 

 Saint H, Kensington, Octagon, Laura, St. Mark, Trinity, 

 St. Saviour, Christ Church, Magdalen' a, St. John's 11 - 

 pital. Records also exist of eleven chapels which i 

 I'. !! destroyed. The Independents, Quakers, Monn 

 Methodists, Unitarians, Roman Catholics, Jews, and Hap 

 lists, have all places of worship in the city, the m:i; 

 of which are laruc and handsome buiM 



There are charitable institutions in this city of anticnt 

 and modern date of every kind. The oldest is the hospital 

 of St. John, founded in 1180 by Reginald Fitzjocchnc. in 

 it is laid, for the benefit of the sick poor resorting to Hath. 

 The beneficiaries now are a master, six brethren, and six 

 sister*. The patronage ol'ti.i- ma-tership was granted h\ 

 Queen Elizabeth to the corporation of Bath. Its endow - 

 ments are large, and the annual value of iu property in 

 1818, chiefly leased on lives, in consideration of fine>. 

 11,395/. The master receives two-thirds of the fines and 

 income, and the brethren and sisters the remainder. Tin- 

 chief establishment, however, for tho sick poor is called the 

 General Hospital. It was opened in 1 7-18, and is regulated 

 by act of parliament. No patient can be admitted unlcs-> 

 his case has been certified as proper for the trial of the hot 

 waters, previous to his coming to Bath, and no inhabitant 

 of Bath is admitted into it. This last regulation, though 

 wisely framed, is to some extent traded in the adn 

 of persona dwelling in the suburbs, but beyond the charter 

 limits of the city. The charity is well endowed, and ,; 

 cords have had the character of having been kept with 

 care, fidelity, and exactness. There is also another lurne 

 hospital called the United General Hospital, or Casualty 

 and Dispensary, which affords to the sick poor of the city 

 the advantages of the use of the hot waters, and gi\i > 

 asM-tancc in cases of ordinary illness and casualty. It is 

 well governed, and the whole of its arrangements are good. 



There is a small collection of books in the vestry of the 

 abbey church and some antient MSS. In the year 1826 a 

 literary and scientific institution was founded, compn 

 partly by purchase and partly by benefactions, an cxt< 

 and well-selected library of reference both in science and 

 literature. The institution also contains a small museum 

 and laboratory, with rooms for the delivery of le< tines. 

 There is also a Mechanics' Institute, which has a tolerable 

 collection of books, and which has been almost entirely sup- 

 ported for some years by the class for whose use it was 

 designed. 



Tho chief institution for instruction is the free grammar- 

 school, founded by Kdward VI., and endowed with part uf 

 the lands of the dissolved priory of Bath. It was dc- 

 for the gratuitous instruction of the children of the inha- 

 bitants of the town without distinction. The school-house 

 is a large and handsome building with spacious pn ; 

 The schoolmaster may he a layman; but if in 1 

 must be presented to "the rectory of Charlcoinbe, the 

 of which was, in ]s:i4, about 3007. a-year. His salary, as 

 master, is 84/. a-year ; but as the school is well attended, 

 and only ten free scholars arc admitted, the value of the 

 olli.-e is much increased by the payments of day-scholars 

 and boarders. The lands of the school arc. very badly lit, 

 producing, in 1834, a rent of only 37C/. a-year, though their 

 annual value, in 1822, was about I838/. There are several 

 other schools which afford the elements of . such 



as reading, writing, and arithmetic, supported chiefly by 

 voluntary subscriptions. 



i memorable' John Hales, of Eton, was born 

 in St. James's parish, and Benjamin ! 'id to have 



been the actual writer uf Austin's I'm/age rtmini lli<~ If'tiritl. 

 was a native of this city, which 



Buthonia, who passed some time in the cast di.ring the 

 reign of Henry I., and brought ' .d, among 



MSS.. a tronsloti n . I Kuclid, being tin 

 of the work known in this country. 



The gaieties of Bath are celebrated, but IUITO much de- 



