BRISTOL. 



lownfmen iccol. for not afliHing himwitli u.pplio. The 

 btter bcfiCRed him in tlie calllc, and the prince fled to 

 Windlor, where lie was f<ion forced lo accept terms at the 

 hands of the barons. When ihc duke of LancalUr oppofed 

 Richard 11. the inhabitants of Biillol threw open their gates 

 to the du^ie's forces, who ilormcd and took the callle, in which 

 piaiiv of tlie kin^:'s friends iiad taker, nfugc. The inhabi- 

 taiill of iir:ilol Tided with llie earl of Richmond, afterwards 

 Heiir>- VI I. at which time Giles lord d'Aubeney held the 

 calli^-. Dnrinvj the reformation, tnmults broke out in the 

 well ; and at lirillol, tlic calUe, waiU, and gates of the city 

 were repaired and mounted with caimon ; but by the prudent 

 toiuhici of Mr. William Ciieller, the difcontents were foon 

 appcafed, and a gc:^vral pardon was procured for tlie delin- 

 • luents. In tlie years i;^', and i^Sh a mint was efta- 

 bliflied in the cattle ; and the church plate, feized by the 

 tonimifTiont.rs, was here coined. By a petition to king 

 Charles I., 1629, the king granted the caftle and its 

 appurtenances to the mayor and corporation of Brillol, and 

 made it a part of that county and city ; and in 16; I, it 

 was fold lo the mayor and buigell'es for 959!. In the 

 eonimeiiceinent of the war, between the king and his 

 parliament, the callle was repaired and ganifoned by the 

 parliamentarmy, under the governor Col. Kath. I'iennes. 

 This was confid'ejed a place of the grcatcll confcqncnce, and 

 fcrved to awe all the wellern conntits, having accommo- 

 dations for a large army. The king, therefore, was very de- 

 lirous of obtaining poileflion ; a plot was f, rmed by Yca- 

 maits and Bouchitr, lo deliver it up to the king's forces ; 

 but this biing difcovered, prince Rupert, at the head of a 

 confldcrable "army, belieged it ; but fearing the length of a 

 blockade, he determined to take it by iiorm, which he 

 quickly eireCled. But the place was thus dearly bought, for 

 the king loft moft of his valuable officers, and more than 

 i-jOJ of his bcft troops. It was thought of fo much confe- 

 quence, that a public thankfgiving was ordered for the 

 luccefs of his majefty's arms. The citizens fubfcribed 

 1400I. to prevent the plunder of the foldiery ; and orders 

 were confcquently given for death to be the penalty of 

 plunder. Briftol was ordered to pay 50,003!. in money, and 

 clothe and equip ijoo of the king's foldiers. At the 

 battle of Nafeby, prince Rupert repaired to Briftol, which 

 he found fupplied with men, provifions, and ammunition, 

 fo that he wrote to the king, alTuring him he was able to 

 futlain a four months' fiege. This revived the hopes of the 

 king's party ; and it was thought that the prince would 

 make a vigorous and defptrate defence ; but, to the fur- 

 prife of all, he made but a very feeble and fliort relillance. 

 This unexpefted and difaftrons event damped the royal 

 caufe, which from that day rapidly declined ; and certainly 

 the capitulation of this grand Ration haftened the fatal 

 caiaftrcphe of the king's iubmiff.on, and fubfequent decapi- 

 tation. After Oliver Cromwell was proclaimed proteftor, 

 he ilTutd orders for the demolition of the caftle of Briftol. 

 Tjie difmanthng was begun in 1665, and the whole was 

 razed to the ground. Scarcely any veftiges are now 

 remaining. Thus this fortrels, deemed impregnable in 

 foiTiier ages, and which has made fiich a dillinguifhed 

 figure on the page of hiilory, the fubjeft of fo much nego- 

 tiation, and fo much contention, was deftroyed after having 

 weathered the ftorms of feven centuries. The inhabitants, 

 previous to this period, appear to have always been in oppo- 

 fition to the reigning princes, but fubfcquently, however, 

 the reverfe appears the cafe. In the duke of Monmouth's 

 rebellion, they efpoufed the caufe of king James. During 

 the rebvUion, in the reign of George I., and elpecially in 

 i'iSt tb^y were decidedly for the houfe of Hanover ; and 



and in the preferit day their exertions in defence of the 

 nation are too well known to need a comment. 



Such are the moft material places, objefls and events, con- 

 neAed with the city of Briftol. We may further ftate that its 

 buildings cover an area of about 1 coo acres of ground, and 

 the fuburbs above 500 more. With the appendages it 

 contains 600 ftreets, fquares, lanes, courts, &c. in which 

 are erected 47 churches and chapels. Here are 5 hotels, 

 50 inns and taverns, 7 banking houfcs, and 4 prifons. It is 

 the chief city, quay, and mart of the wcftern parts of the 

 kingdom, and is claftcd among the principal cities of 

 Europe. 



Briftol is the birth-place of many diflinguiflied literary 

 and public characters, the memoirs of whom will be intro- 

 duced under their refpctlive heads. We fliall therefore only 

 mention the names of the principal : Thomas Chatterton, 

 poet, fir William Draper, William of Worcefter, William 

 Cannyngs, Edward Cclfton, Ann Yearllcy, Mary Robert- 

 fon. For an account of the Hotwtlls, Chiton, St. Vincent's 

 rocks, and many places in the vicmity, fee Cliftom. Bar- 

 rel's Hiftory of Briftol, 4.10. 1789. 



Bkistol, a townlhip of America, in Lincoln county, 

 and diftrift of Maine, containing 1718 inhabitants; 204 

 miles N.E. from Bollon. 



Bristol, a county in the fouthern part of the ftate of 

 Maftachufelts, lituate to the ealt of a part of Rhode ifland ; 

 its principal town is Taunton. It has 15 townfliips, 97,3''0 

 acres of improved land, 130,767 of that which is unim- 

 proved, 31,709 inhabitants, and 17,860 head of cattle. 



Bristol, a county in the ftate of Rhode ifland, border- 

 ing on Briftol county in the Maflachufetts, north-eail ; and 

 mount Hope bay, eaft ; and including the townlliips of 

 Briftol, Warren, and Barrington. The number of inha- 

 bitants is 321 1, of whom are 98 flaves. 



Bristol, a fea-port town, and capital of the preceding 

 county, lies on the weftern iide of the pcninfula, called 

 Briftol-neck, and on the eaft fide of Briftol bay ; including 

 Popafquadi-neck, and the whole northern and eaftern parts 

 of Briildl-neck to Warren, north ; and to mount Hope bay, 

 eaft. Its diftance, including the ferry, about half a mile 

 broad, is about 3 miles from Rhode ifland, 13 miles N. 

 from Newport, 24 S.E. from Providence, and 63 from 

 Bofton. Although it has fuffered greatly by the ravages of 

 war, it is now in a very flourilhing ilate, having 1406 inha- 

 bitants, including 64 flaves. Its fituation is beautiful ; its 

 climate healthy ; its foil rich ; and its harbour fafe and 

 commodious. Onions, in confiderable quantities, and a va- 

 riety of provifions and garden ftufF, are raifed here for ex- 

 portation. N. lat. 41° 45'. W. long. 7i°2g'. 



Bristol, a townfliip in Hartford county, Connefticut ; 

 16 miles W. of the city of Harlford. 



Bristol, a town in Bucks county, Pennfvlvania ; il 

 miles S.S.E. from Newtown, and 20 N.E. from Philadel- 

 pliia ; feated on Delaware river, oppofite to Burlington 

 in New Jerfey, and containing about Jo or 60 honfes. It 

 is noted for its mills of various kinds. N. lat. 40° 17'. 

 W. long. 75° S'. 



Bristol, a townftiip in Philadelphia county. — Alfo, a 

 fmall town in Charies county, Maryland. — Alfo, a townfliip 

 in Addifon county, Vermont, call of Vergcnnes, having 

 2 1 1 inhabitants. — Alfo, a new town of New York, in Scho- 

 harie county, incorporated in 1797. 



Bristol Bay and Riv:;r, lie on the north-weft coaft of 

 North America ; the north point of the bay is cape Newn- 

 ham, and the fonth point is cape Oenemak, on the peninfula 

 of Alafica. Thefe two points of the bay are in N. lat. ^4** 

 30' and 58° 42', and in W. long. j6i" 24' and 163° "^o". 



The 



