B E R 



dcfjref of doftor in that faculty. The tliefis he wrote on 

 this occa'.io:! is intitled, " Dificrtrtio meilica inaugiiralis de 

 podagra," and is dedicated to l:is relation the baron tie Bicl- 

 fvldt. On his return to England, lie fettled at Iilewortli, 

 near the Tliame; ; and foon alter publiilied hfs " Pharma- 

 copccia medica," which has been fo much approved, as to pais 

 through Icveral editions. But he feems to have been of too 

 aftive a diipofuion to remain long in the pradice of medicine, 

 jn which he never made much progrcfs. In 1778, he was 

 appointed by ^^overnment one of the comm'fDoncrs who were 

 fent to A.T.erica with a view of icttling die differer.ces be- 

 tween that country and England, and was the o;ily one of 

 them that was permitted to go to Philadelphia, where tiie 

 congrefs was fitting. Here he remained ionie time, but 

 fnfpefted at length by the congrefs, and perhaps not without 

 reason, of carrying on a fecret corrcfpondence wicli fome of 

 the Arr.ericans, who difapprovcd of their proceedings, he 

 was firft fent to piifon, but was foc.n releafed, and then fent 

 to his brother commiflloners at New York. On his return to 

 England, he received a penfioa from government for the 

 fervices he had endeavoured to render his country ; on which, 

 and his own fortune, he hved as a private gentleman to the 

 time of his death, wh.ich happened on the 3d of Apnl 

 1791. 



Dw Berktnhout was author of various works, befides thofe 

 mentioned above. In 1770, he publidied " OutHnes of the 

 Natural Hillory of Great Britain and Ireland ;" a ufeful 

 manual for lludsnts in that line. In 17S8, " Firft lines of 

 the theory and practice of philofophical chemii'ry ;" which 

 be dedicated to Mr. Eden (lord Auckland), who had been one 

 of the commifiloners with him to America. He alfo «Tote 

 •' An Eflay on the bite of a rrad dog ;" " An Anfwer to 

 Dr. Cadogan's Efiay on the gout;" "A Pretace to the 

 tranilation of Fomme's treatiie on liylleric difeafcs." He was 

 aifo the author of " Lucubrations on ways and means," from 

 which the idea of feveral of our prefent taxes is faid to be 

 taken ; and of " A Tranflation ot count Teffins' letters to 

 the late king of Sweden." New Biog. Diet. 



BERKER's Creek, Arian, in Geography, a fand which 

 {hoots Oil from the land towards the fea, to the fouth of 

 Blenk, or the fouth fand-hill, on the coalt of Holland. It 

 is fituated on the fouth of the Land Deep channel into the 

 Texel, the coaft trending nearly N. and S. from the 

 Maes to the Texcl. 



BERKHAMPSTEAD, a market town of Hertford- 

 (hire, England, is fituated in a fertile country, on the 

 fouthern bank of the fmall river Bulberne, at the diilance 

 of 26 miles N. W. of London. This town and its vici- 

 nity have been the feat of war, and noted by hiftorians 

 as the property and relidence of f>.me of the Saxon kings, 

 and other diftingiriihed charafters of that nation. After the 

 Norman conquell it was poffeffed by lome princes of the 

 blood, ard dukes of Cornwall. On the north fide of the 

 town are the embankments, and other remains, of a confider- 

 able caille, which Cam.den fuppofed was built by Robert 

 Moreton carl of Cornwall, who was brother to the con- 

 queror, and enjoyed the manor, &c. from him. At this 

 place the conqueror had an interview with the Englifh no- 

 bility, after his fuccefsful battle againft Harold. The caftle 

 raifed by earl Moreton, was demoliflled in his fon's time, 

 who was accufcd of rebellion, and the town and manor 

 forfeited to the crown. Henry II. granted the inhabi- 

 tants many privileges, among which was the liberty of fell- 

 ing their ^oods free of tolls and duties, either in this coun- 

 try or in Normandy, Aquitain, or Anjou. In Domefday- 

 boo.k we fiud fifty-two burgefies named in this town, whofe 

 merchandize was chiefly wool, which wae maauiadiiii ed into 



6 



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cloth on tho continent. Hei:ry II. kept his court herr, 

 as appears from a grant ditfd at this place, conferring- 

 the church of Havering in EITcx on the monks of St. Bcr- 

 nard dc Monte lovis, to provide firing for the poor. King 

 John, in the 7th year of his reign, granted tljis caftle and 

 honour to Geoffrey Fitzpeers earl of Eflex ; but two years 

 after his dea'h, thefe places were again in the king's hands. 

 The dauphin of France, in concert with the barons, bcficgcd 

 this fortrcfs, which was bravely defended. The befieged 

 made two fuccefsful fallies, and held out until the king fent. 

 thcni orders to furrendcr. Previoufly to the fecond year of- 

 Henry 111. the markets were held here on a Sunday, but 

 in that year they were changed for Monday, which is ft^ilL 

 the market day. This calllc and lordftiip continued for a 

 long period in the potTcfiion of the earls and dukes of Corn- 

 wall, and was repeatedly the fcene of ».ndezvou3 and baronial 

 contention. The caille was furrounded by a fofs and vallum, 

 inclofing about four acres of ground, and the keep, or citadel,, 

 was placed on the north fide of it : upon the dilapidation of 

 its walls, a large houfe was conftrucfed with the materials, 

 which was pofFeffcd in the rebellion by colonel Axttl. 



The town is much reduced from its former confequence,- 

 and confifts of one long ftreet, having St. Leonard's hofpitaL 

 at one end, and St. James's at the other. The church, de- 

 dicated to St. Peter, is a large handfome pile of building, 

 and has feveral fmall chaptls, or oratories, included within 

 its walls ; alfo fome curious old monuments. Here u aa 

 alms-houfe for fix poor widows, who are jointly allowed 50I. 

 a year towards their maintenance. The town has alfo a chari- 

 ty-fchool and a free grammar fchool; the latter of which was 

 endowed by king Edward VI. for 144 boys, and provided 

 with a malter and uflier. Befides thefe charitable founda- 

 tions, here is another alms-houfe, which was endowed by 

 Jolin Layer and his wife, with a legacy of 130CI. Berkhamp- 

 ftead gives the title of marquis to the duke of Cumberland. 

 The chief trade of the place confifts in the turning of bowls, 

 of fiiovels, fpoons, and other articles, made of beech wood. 

 Here are three annual fairs, and a ftatute fair for the hiring 

 of fervants, &c. The houfes in the parilh are 338, and the 

 inhabitants amount to 1690. This town is called Berk- 

 hampftead St. Peter's, in contradiftindtion to another parifli 

 a little to the north of it, which was formerly feparated 

 from this, and called Nortlichurch, or Berkhamftead St. 

 Mary's. Salmon's Hiftory of Hertfordftiive, Sec. 



BERKI, a town of Afiatic Turkey, in the province of 

 Natolia, near the river Caifter ; 36 miles E. of Smyrna. N. 

 lat. 38° 2^' E. long. 25° 39'. 



BERKLEY, a county of Virginia in North America, lies 

 weft of the Blue ridge, north of Frederick county, and le- 

 parated from the llate of Mar)-land, on the north and eaft 

 by Potowmack river. This fertile county, about 40 miles 

 long and 20 broad, has 16,781 free inhabitants, and 2932 

 fiaves. Its chief town is Martinfburg. 



Berkley, the name of a county and town in Charlefton 

 diftrid, fouth Carolina, lying near Aftiley and Cooper 

 rivers. In the cenfus of 1791, it was called St. John's 

 parilh, in Berkley county, and contained 752 free perfonf, 

 and 5170 flaves. 



Berkley, a townlhip of Briftol county in MafiachufcttSj 

 containing 850 inhabitants ; 50 miles S. of Boilon. 



Berkley, or Berkeley, an ancient town of Gloucefter- 

 ftiire, England, is dillinguiftied in the annals of this country 

 for its maffy baronial caftle, and the popular events that have 

 occurred within its walls. The town is Icarcely ever noticed in 

 the page of hiftory, wliilft the caftle is repeatedly mentioned, 

 and referred to from the Norman conquell to the difaftrons 

 warfare in the feventeenth century. In fome old records 



this 



