B L A 



460 



n L A 



St Mary , there are three other churches belonging 

 to the establishment, viz., St. John's, St. Peter's, and St. 

 Paul's. The last was formerly in Lady Huntingdon's con- 

 nexion, but the minister and congregation having con- 

 formed, it was consecrated a few years since by the bishop 

 of the diocese. One of the other two, St. John's, was en- 

 tirely built by subscription ; and St. Peter's is chielly in- 

 debted for its erection to the parliamentary grant. The 

 1:11: places of worship are ten in number. Baptists, 

 Independents, Roman Catholics, and Methodists, have 

 each two chapels ; and the Friends and Swedenborgians one 

 each. 



Among the public institutions for the purposes of educa- 

 tion, the free grammar-school may be mentioned first. It 

 was founded and endowed, in consequence of a petition to 

 that effect from the inhabitants, by Queen Elizabeth, ' f >r 

 the education, management, and instruction of children and 

 youths in grammar,' nnd to have one master and one usher. 

 The present income is reported at 120/. It. 4d., consisting 

 of lands and buildings, which have rather decreased in 

 value. The endowment has however been augmented by 

 benefactions from other sources. The general management 

 of the school and the appointment of the masters is 

 in fifty governors, who fill up vacancies as they occur. The 

 charter describes the school as ' free to all the world,' though 

 the number in it never exceeds thirty, and these have to 

 pay a small fee to the master annually at Shrove tide. In 

 1819 the old school-house was taken down to make room 

 for the new church, when a neat stone building was erected 

 near St. Peter's church, in the architectural style of Queen 

 Elizabeth's time. 



There is also a charity-school for girls, founded by a be- 

 nevolent individual of the name of Lcyland, in which ninety 

 girls are clothed, and instructed in reading, sewing, and 

 knitting. The national schools are attended by SOU chil- 

 dren of both sexes. To most of the places of worship Sun- 

 day-schools are attached, and very considerable attention is 

 paid to the instruction of the poor. The number of children 

 who are receiving some education in this way amounts to 

 nearly 5000. Religious knowledge is also diffused through 

 the Bible Society, the Society for the Promotion of Christian 

 Knowledge, and the London and Wesleyan Missionary So- 

 cieties, who have all auxiliary branches in this town. Poli- 

 tical and general information is circulated by means of two 

 newspapers, the 'Gazette' and the 'Alfred.' The Inde- 

 pendents have an academy here, under the direction of 

 proper tutors, for the education of young men of their deno- 

 mination for the ministry. A horticultural society, which 

 is in a flourishing state, has a tendency to diffuse a taste for 

 useful pursuits. A savings bank has been open ever since 

 1818, in which the deposits have been very considerable. 



There is a general dispensary, established in 1823, partly 

 supported by voluntary contributions, and partly by assist- 

 ance from tlie parochial funds. The Ladies' Society for the 

 relief of lying-in women, and the Stranger's Friend Society, 

 are maintained by the subscriptions of the benevolent. So- 

 ck-ties for sickness and funerals are very numerous among 

 the working classes, nnd well conducted. 



There are no other public buildings except a small 

 theatre ; and a cloth-hall on one side of Fleming-square', fur 

 the sale of woollen cloths, at the fairs, which arc held on 

 Easter Monday, on the llth and 12th of May, and on the 

 1 7lh of October. There nre also fortnight fairs on Wednes- 

 day, continuing from the first week in February to Michael- 

 mas, for horned cattle. Monday was the antient market- 

 day in Blackburn, but in 1 774 the markets began to be 

 held on Wednesday and Saturday, and have continued to 

 be so held to the present time. The market is well sup- 

 plied with all kinds of vegetables and provisions suitable 

 fur such a population, but the want of proper accommodation 

 for them is a subject of just complaint both among buyers 

 Hers. 



The population of Blackburn has kept pace with the ex- 

 tension of the cotton trade. In 1770 it only amounted to 

 5000; in 1801 it had increased to 11,980; in 1821 to 

 ,n; and in the census of 1831 the population was re- 

 turned at 27,091. During the name period, a very 

 derahle increase took place in its dependencies, which ad- 

 ween 1SU1 and Ivtl from 21,651 to 32,700. 

 Two of the southern townships of the parish, Over and 



Darwen, now form, under tin: influence of the < 

 manufactures, a town of considerable size, comprising 9639 

 inhabitants, and containing two new churches, which have 



been recently erected, besides several other places of worship 

 established by the dissenters. About l-l 7th of the population 

 of this parish are engaged in agriculture ; about 1- 14th are 

 in professions or unemployed, anil the remainder are occu- 

 pied in trade, manufactures, or handicraft. The borough 

 sends two members to parliament. 



(Wbittaker's History qf Whallty ; Baincs's History <\, 

 Lancashire; Pigot's Directory ; Communication/mm Lair 



BLACK-CAP (zoology), the common English name fo 

 the black-cap warbler ; dt-r AKnch of theGenu.ui- 

 d ttte noire of the French, Caponera gentile of the Italians 

 Atricafrillaot Aldrovandus, Cutrucaatricapilla of Hrisnon 

 MotariltaalricapiUaant} Motacilla moschita of Ginelin (the 

 latter being the female), and Sylvia atricapilla of Latham 

 and of BccksUiin. 



[Sjlvla atrteaplUa: ml<-.> 



' Of all the birds,' says Sweet, ' that reside in, or visit the 

 British islands, there is none that can come up to the pre- 

 sent for song, except the nightingale, and by some persons 

 it is more admired than even that bird. Its arrival in this 

 country is generally about the first week in April, and the 

 earliest that I ever saw was on the 25th of March. They 

 leave us again about the end of September, sometimes a 

 straggling one may be seen at the beginning of October ; 

 the latest I ever saw in a wild state was on the 15th of that 

 month. When it first arrives in this country its chief food 

 is the early ripened berries of the ivy, and where tln> 

 there the black-caps are first to be heard singing their me- 

 lodious and varied song. By the time the ivy-berri 

 over, the little green lame of the small moths will be getting 

 plentiful, rolled up in the young shoots and leaves: this 

 then is their chief food until the strawberries and cherries 

 become ripe; after that there is no want of fruit or berries 

 till their return, and there is no sort of fruit or berry that is 

 eatable or wholesome that they will refuse. After they have 

 cleared the elder-berries in autumn, they immediately leave. 

 us.' 



Nor is Sweet singular in his eulogy. All agree in praising 

 its melody. In Norfolk, and in other places in Great Hi ituin, 

 it is called the mock nightingale; and indeed, like the 

 nightingale, it continues its song far into the night. Bcch- 

 stein, who has paid so much attention to the song of birds, 

 says that it rivals the nightingale, and that many persons 

 even give it the preference.' ' If,' adds that author, it has 

 less volume, strength, and expression, it is more pure. 

 and flute-like in its tones, nnd its song is perhaps more 

 varied, smooth, and delicate.' 



This fruit-eating warbler is one of the ficc.duta- so much 

 prized under the name of beccafica, though, as Beelist in 

 well observes. e\ei\ ta-te 1 lit that of the palate must be 

 \cd if this charming bird is caught for the table. Its 

 fondness for ivy-berries seems to have been noticed in Italy, 

 where it is permanent, and thence probably is deme i 

 of its Italian names, rajinnrrti </></< n;. The difference of 

 plumage in the males and females, and in the young birds, 

 which resemble the females, may possibly throw some light 

 on the opinion which Wfllughby thus mentions: ' The 

 anticnls report,' writes Willughby, ' that the black-caps 



