476 



EXETER EXMOUTH. 



of a previous monastery having been established on 

 this site by king Ethelred in 868. Athelstan's 

 monastery did not last long, but was broken up, 

 and its inmates expelled, by the attacks of the 

 Danes. It was restored by Edgar ; again de- 

 stroyed by Sweyn, king of Denmark, in 1003, and 

 afterwards rebuilt by Canute. But in 1050, Ed- 

 ward the confessor placed it on a new footing by 

 removing the bishop's see from Crediton where it 

 formerly was, to Exeter, uniting with it the see of 

 St Germans (in Cornwall,) and making Leofric, 

 who was also lord chancellor, the first bishop of 

 Exeter. Thus the sees of Cornwall and Devon 

 became united. 



The cathedral, which is now called St Peter's, 

 though anciently dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, 

 is considered to have been at that time very small; 

 about sixty feet long : it doubtless occupied a part 

 of the site of the present building, but as the lat- 

 ter presents no certain signs of the architecture of 

 so early a period, it is difficult to determine the 

 ancient position. In 1107, bishop Warlewast, a 

 Norman, began to enlarge Exeter cathedral suit- 

 ably to the taste of his times. He laid the foun- 

 dation of the choir ; and it may reasonably be con- 

 cluded, that he built the large north and south 

 towers now remaining. In 1138, however, incon- 

 sequence of the opposition of Rivers earl of De- 

 von to the claims of king Stephen, Exeter was the 

 scene of a dreadful siege, and on its being taken 

 by the king's army, many buildings, including the 

 cathedral, suffered by fire. Between the period of 

 this siege and the appointment of bishop Quivil, in 

 1280 (142 years), considerable sums were laid out 

 in repairs; but, it is probable that the structure 

 had received such material injury, as to render a 

 rebuilding of most of it necessary: accordingly 

 Quivil is termed " the founder of the new work," 

 and almost all writers on the subject have given 

 him the credit of founding and designing the pre- 

 sent spacious and beautiful cathedral. The entire 

 length of the structure, including the walls, is 408 

 feet, breadth within 64, and height of the towers 

 160. It abounds with interesting monuments: the 

 bishop's throne, sixty feet in, height, is a specimen 

 of magnificent tabernacle work. The cathedral is 

 also remarkable for its organ, its bells, and its an- 

 cient astronomical clock. The clock is in the 

 north tower, and is said to have been the gift of 

 bishop Courtney, who occupied the see from 1478 

 to 1487. Mr Britton, however, in his " History 

 of Exeter cathedral," has referred to some ancient 

 authorities, from which it would appear that there 

 was a famous clock here many years before the time 

 of that bishop. The present clock, besides the 

 hour of the day, indicates the age of the moon, and 

 represents the revolution of that luminary around 

 the earth. Its face is seven feet in diameter. In 

 the north tower is also the famous bell, called 

 the Peter, the largest in England except Great 

 Tom of Christ's church, Oxford. The bell at 

 Christ's church weighs 17,000 Ibs., and this is said 

 to weigh 12,500. Unfortunately, the Exeter bell 

 is now so hung that it cannot be rung. It, as well 

 as the clock, is said to be the gift of bishop Court- 

 ney; but Mr Britton, to whose work we are in- 

 debted for these particulars respecting it, is of 

 opinion that it is probably of still greater anti- 

 quity. The tradition is, that it was brought from 

 the cathedral of LlandafF. Having been cracked 

 on the 5th of November, 1611, it was recast in 

 1676. The organ is said to be one of the most 



powerful in Europe. It was built by an English 

 artist in 1665. 



Exeter vies with most cities in charitable insti- 

 tutions. There also several literary societies, and 

 some excellent public libraries. The earliest char- 

 ter of the city was granted by Henry II., and suc- 

 ceeding monarchs confirmed or extended its privi- 

 leges. Its civil government, previous to the muni- 

 cipal act in 1835, was vested in a mayor, eight 

 aldermen, a sheriff, a town-clerk, and sixteen mem- 

 bers of the town-council. By the new act the 

 number of aldermen is increased to twelve and of 

 councillors to thirty-six. The act also divided the 

 borough into six wards, and bestowed upon it a 

 commission of the peace. 



The river Exe is navigable for vessels of 150 

 tons burden up to the quay, which is very spacious. 

 At an early period in the history of Exeter, a 

 water course or canal was made to communicate 

 with the town and the estuary of the Exe. This 

 underwent in the course of time various improve- 

 ments, but still in 1819 was found so insufficient 

 for the demands of commerce, that Mr Green, the 

 county surveyor, was employed to survey it, and 

 report its state. He was further instructed, in 

 1824, to examine the state of the river from the 

 estuary to the city. From his reports it appears, he 

 found that vessels drawing from twelve to fourteen 

 feet of water could pass the bar, and ascend the Exe 

 by the same tide as far as the Turf, which is more 

 than a mile nearer the estuary of the Exe than the 

 entrance to the old canal. He found also that by 

 extending the canal to this place, and constructing 

 a proper lock, such vessels as could pass that bar 

 might proceed at once to Exeter, avoiding all 

 lighterage, pilotage, and delays incidental to the 

 discharging of their cargoes in the Bight of Ex- 

 mouth. The suggestions and plans of Mr Green, 

 having received the approval of the celebrated 

 Telford, were adopted by the mayor and chamber, 

 and in 1825 the work was commenced, which was 

 finished in 1830. The sea-lock at Turf is 120 feet 

 long, and 30 feet wide. The basin or dock, which 

 prevents vessels losing time in consequence of the 

 canal being so frequently closed on account of the 

 floods of the river, is 917 feet in length and varies 

 from 110 to 90 feet in breadth. Its uniform depth 

 is eighteen feet, with commodious sites on its mar- 

 gin for wharfs, &c. The opening of it on the 29th 

 Sept. 1830, was celebrated by the inhabitants of 

 Exeter and the surrounding county with great de- 

 monstrations of festivity. 



EXMOUTH, ADMIRAL LORD VISCOUNT, a dis- 

 tinguished naval officer, born on the 19th April, 

 1757. The father of lord Exmouth, whose name 

 was Samuel Pellew, commanded the government 

 packet-boat at Dover, where his son Edward was 

 born. The boy went to sea at the age of thirteen, 

 having lost his father five years before. The ship 

 in which he began his career was the Juno frigate, 

 and his first voyage was to the Falkland islands, 

 at the extremity of South America. He was not 

 engaged in active service till 1776, on the break- 

 ing out of the American war, when being &ent out 

 as midshipman in the Blonde frigate to Lake 

 Champlain, he greatly distinguished himself in the 

 course of that and the following year. The gal- 

 lantry which he displayed on various occasions, ob- 

 tained acknowledgments in the most flattering 

 terms, both from lord Howe and general Burgoyne, 

 the former of whom also gave him a lieutenant's 

 commission. On the surrender of the British force, 



