

OH ARLEVILLB CHATHAM. 



iitativcs regularly to parliament till the 2nd of 

 Kilxviiiil III., wlii-ii tin- privilege WHS withdrawn, 

 and has not since been restored. Chard was the 

 scene of battle between the partizans of Charles I. 

 under Colonel Penruddock, and the parliament- 

 arians, in \vliieli the former sustained a signal defeat. 

 On Hrown Down, in the neighbourhood of Chard, 

 are several barrows, culled Kohin Hood's butts, 

 which the vulgar maintain marked the distance to 

 which Robin Hood and Little John were accus- 

 tomed to throw their quoits. Population in 1831, 

 141. 



CHARLEVILLE, RU.HT HON. CHARLES WIL- 

 LIAM BURY, Earl of, was born June 30, 1764, 

 the only child of John Bury, Esq., by Cathar- 

 ine, second daughter and co-heiress of Francis 

 Sadlier, of Sopwell Hall, county Tipperary, Esq. 

 He was advanced to the dignity of viscount Charle- 

 ville by patent dated Dec. '29, 1800. He was 

 eleeted one of the twenty-eight representative 

 peers for Ireland on the first vacancy that occurred 

 after the Union, by the death of Lord Rossmore in 

 Aug. 1801; and was advanced to the earldom of 

 Charleville by patent dated Feb. 16, 1806. Dur- 

 ing the rebellion in Ireland in 1799, his Lordship 

 took an active part in its suppression. He com- 

 manded the Tullamore troop of cavalry, and two 

 companies of infantry. His beautiful seat at Char- 

 leville Forest, King's county, was consumed by 

 fire in 1808; and he afterwards erected a spacious 

 mansion, in the castellated style, from the designs 

 of Francis Johnston, Esq. The surrounding plan- 

 tations are remarkably fine, and an artificial lake 

 has been formed with the waters of the river Clo- 

 ihih. His Lordship was a classical scholar and an 

 elegant writer, and wrote many learned papers on 

 various subjects. He was held in high estimation 

 among the literary and scientific men of Dublin, 

 and tor some years was president of the Royal 

 Irish Academy. He was eminently distinguished 

 for his high honour and unflinching integrity; and 

 following the example of his ancestors for many 

 generations, was a staunch supporter of the Protes- 

 tant cause. In social life he was sincerely beloved. 

 He died at Dover, Oct. 31, 1835. 



The earl of Charleville married, June 4, 1798, 

 Catharine Maria, only daughter and heiress of Tho- 

 mas Townley Dawson, Esq., and widow of James 

 Tisdall, Esq., and by her ladyship, he had his only 

 son and heir Charles William, now earl of Char- 

 leville. 



CHATHAM, in Kent, (a.) Chatham appears to 

 have derived its name from the Saxon words cite, 

 a cottage, and ham, a town or village. It is situ- 

 ated on the south-east bank of the Medway, on the 

 north side of Chatham hill, thirty miles S. E. from 

 London. It adjoins the city of Rochester, and 

 with Stroud, on the opposite side of the bridge, 

 over the Medway, forms one continuous street, of 

 upwards of two miles in length, locally called the 

 " Three Towns." There was an extensive Roman 

 station here : large quantities of remains, and many 

 Roman graves, were discovered in excavating for 

 the lines. The excellent fund, originally called 

 the Chest at Chatham, (since removed to Green- 

 wich and London.) was commenced by the advice 

 of Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins, after 

 the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588, when 

 queen Elizabeth assigned a small portion of the 

 pay of every seaman, for the relief of those who 

 had been 'wounded or disabled in the royal navy. 

 An hospital was erected here for ten " poor decayed 



seamen and ship-Wrights." by Sir John Hawkins, 

 under royal charter, in l.'iil-J. There is also ano- 

 ther hospital, capable of containing 400 patients, at 

 Chatham; this structure is 350 feet in length, and 

 was erected at a cost of 70,000. The popula- 

 tion of the parishes of Chatham mid (iillingham, 

 according to the last census, amounted to 24,<i~0. 



During the war with France, in 1758, when the 

 country was threatened with an invasion, the ex- 

 tensive fortifications called the lines were com- 

 menced, principally with a view to defend the 

 dock-yard. The lines are strengthened by ram- 

 parts, palisadoes, and a broad deep ditch, and are 

 further defended by a strong redoubt on the sum- 

 mit of the hill, towards the south-east. They em- 

 brace within their circumference, which extends 

 for several miles, the whole of the naval establish- 

 ments, the upper and lower barracks, the populous 

 village of Brompton, and Chatham church. The 

 barracks are very extensive ; as independently of a 

 large resident garrison of marines, this is one of the 

 principal depots for troops destined for foreign ser- 

 vice. 



A dock-yard was commenced here early in the 

 reign of Elizabeth, near the place where the gun 

 wharf is now situated. It appears then to have 

 consisted of one small dock, which, from its con- 

 fined situation, and the increasing magnitude of the 

 navy, it was found necessary, in the year 1622, to 

 remove to the site of the present establishment. 

 During the reign of Elizabeth, the fleet usually lay 

 in the river Medway, and the queen seems to have 

 fully appreciated the advantages of the situation, 

 by ordering the erection of Upnor Castle, a fortifi- 

 cation a little below the dock-yard, on the oppo- 

 site bank of the river. Within the mouldering 

 towers of this structure, (which is environed by 

 a moat,) a magazine of gunpowder is kept for the 

 use of the navy ; but no guns have been mounted 

 for its defence, for a considerable period. Upnor 

 Castle has a small establishment under the com- 

 mand of a governor, who also commands the other 

 forts for the defence of the Medway. 



The arsenal was constructed at the conclusion 

 of the first war with Holland, in the reign of 

 Charles II., who also greatly improved and ex- 

 tended the dock-yard. 



Chatham dock-yard is situated on the eastern 

 bank of the river, immediately below Chatham, and, 

 including the ordnance wharf, is about a mile in 

 length. It is intersected with streets of store- 

 houses and other buildings. 



Amongst the objects most deserving of notice at 

 Chatham dock-yard are the Smitheries, containing 

 upwards of twenty forges, many of which are 

 adapted for the construction of anchors of the larg- 

 est size, which weigh five tons, are moved into and 

 out of the fire by means of cranes, and are of the 

 value of 360; the Rope-house, 1140 feet in 

 length, in which cables of 120 fathoms, and twen- 

 ty-five inches in circumference, are made ; large 

 Store-house, 220 yards long, and the Sail-loft, 209 

 feet. There are six slips for building ships, and 

 four docks for their repair; an ordnance- wharf, on 

 which the guns belonging to the various ships ly- 

 ing in ordinary, are systematically arranged in im- 

 mense tiers, the cannon-balls being arranged in 

 pyramids ; various cranes, of great power ; kilns, in 

 which the planks necessary for curved forms, are 

 steamed ; pump-houses, saw-pits, and extensive 

 ranges of artificers' work-shops; an anchor-wharf; 

 a mast-house, 220 feet long, and 120 wide, for lay- 



