GLOUCESTER. 



t^il vaults. The ai-cli of entrance to tlie cloiders from the 

 north aido is ir.oll elaborately and exquilitely adorned by pil- 

 lars, buttrefles, niches, pinnacluo, foliage, and panncl,-, and 

 the fmgular ornament of twilled pi'inacles under the arch. 

 Intiieiouth aille, nail-headed moiddnigs are introduced asem- 

 belliiliments on each fide of tlie windows. An advanced 

 gradation of Ilyle is exhibited in tl;e interior of tlie fouth 

 tranfept ; but the moll perfect and ornamental degree is dif- 

 played in the chapel of our Lady. The choir is divided 

 trom the nave by a ikrcen, deilgned by Kent. 



The dimenlionsof the cathedral and its feveral parts are 

 asfoUov.-: entirelength,inf:do, four hundred and twentv-tiiree 

 feet : length of the nave, o.ie hundred and feventy-one feet ; 

 breadth, forty-one ftet two inches ; height, ilxty-feven feet feven 

 inches : breadth of the north aille, twenty feet ten inches ; 

 heigh.t, forty feet fix inches ; breadth of the fouth aide, twenty- 

 t «-o feet ; height, forty feet : length of the fouth tranfept, li.K- 

 ty-fixfeet ; breadth, forty-three feet fix inches; lieiglit, eigltty- 

 fix feet : length of the north tranfept, fixty-fix feet ; breadth, 

 forty-three ieet fix inches ; lieiglit, feventy-eight feet : 

 length of the clioir, one hundred and forty feet ; breadth, 

 thirty-four feet fix inche.-; ; height, eiglity-fix feet : Icngtii 

 of our Lady's chapel, ninety-two feet ; breadth, twen- 

 ty-four feet four inches ; height, forty-fix feet fix inches : 

 height of th-? tower, including the pinnacles, two hun- 

 dred and twenty-five feet. The great cloiller.=;, which 

 were completed by abbot Frouceller, are the moll elegant 

 and perfect of the kind : the fides and roof are profufely ein- 

 bellifneil, and the windows are filled with mullions and 

 tracery. 



This cathedral contains feveral curious fpecimens of monu- 

 mental fculpture. On the tomb of Edward II., which was 

 erecled by hisfon and fuccefibr, and exhibits great pcrfeftion 

 of art, is a recumbent figure, in alabafler, of the deceafed 

 monarch, regally robed and crowned. Another monument, 

 worthy of notice, is that to thememory of alderman I'lHck- 

 leach, and his wife, whofe figures, in white marble, lie on a 

 table tomb, dated 1639, and feem accurate copies of the 

 portraitsby Vandyck : they are evidently the work of a flvil- 

 fid artift. A third, deferving obfervatioii for its defign and 

 clafTic ftyle, difplays a group by Flaxman, erected to com- 

 memorate Mrs. Morley, who died at fea, in childbed : {he is 

 reprefented as rifing from the waves with her infant in her 

 arms, and condufted by two angels. Between the north 

 aide and the choir is a monument, ereClcd by abbot Parker 

 to perpetuate the memory of king Ofric : and in a chapel 

 nearly oppofite, is a figure, fappofed to reprelent the unfor- 

 tunate Robert Curtois, duke of Normandy, and eldell fen 

 of William the Conqueror. 



The walls that furrounded Glouceftcr are mentioned in a" 

 ancient prophecy, attributed to Merlin ; and tradition afcribes 

 thcmtoCiii'a, the fecond king of the fouth Saxons. The 

 Norman conqueror caufed them to be (Irengtliened and em- 

 battled : and they were again repaired in the nineteenth of 

 Edward III. Leland defcribes Glouceller as " wcll-builded 

 of lymbre, and llroiigly defended v.ith walles, where it is 

 not fortified with the deepe ftreanie of Severn water." 1 he 

 walls were completely demolifhed after the Relloration ; and 

 the only memorial of their former ftrength now remaining is 

 the Well Gate : tliis is embattled ; and was creded in 

 the time of Henry VI 11. The caftle, was probably 

 built about the period of the Norman invalion ; the remain.T 

 were lately dellroyed ; and on its fcite was built the county 

 gaol, wliich was completed in 1791 : it confills of three di- 

 vifions, refpeftively named the Penitentiary Hoiifc, the 

 Bridewell, and the' SherilF's Prifon : tl;ffc all hav? their dif- 



tincl and appropriate regulations. Tiis gaol contains 2oj 

 feparate cells ; 164 for fleep, and 39 for employment. 



In this city and its fuburbs were formerly elever parocliial 

 churches : but only fix are now (landing ; ihofe of St. Mi- 

 cliHcI, St. Mary de Crypt, St. Nicholas, St. Mary de Lode, 

 St .(uhn, and St. Aldule ; the others having been either de- 

 llroyrd at the fiege in 1643, or lince taken down. In St. 

 Michael's parilh i ; a BliR- Coat hofpital, fo called from the 

 fimilarity of its regulations to thofe of Chrill Church, Lon- 

 don, founded and endowed in 1666 by fir Thomas Rich, 

 bart. Among other benevolent cilabliflimcnts that confer 

 honour on the inhalMlants of Gloucefter, may be mentioned 

 the county infirmary, erected by voluntary contributions, and 

 opened in the )eari755. ^''^ annual receipts, arifing from 

 donations and the interell of funded property, amount to 

 between two and three thoufar.d pounds. 



The principal trade of Glouceller refults from the navi- 

 gation of the Severn, from the hemp and flax-dreffing bufi- 

 nel.N, and from the pin manufaclure. The latter, which is 

 the principal fource of labour to the inhabitants, appears to 

 have been introduced into this city by John Tilfby, in the 

 year 1626, and is now carried on to a far greater extent 

 than at any other place in England ; there being nine nnaiiu- 

 fae.torics, which furnifli employment to about 15CX) perfons. 

 The pins conveyed annually to the metropohs, arc faid to 

 amount to the value of 20,000/. ; but the principal demand 

 is from Sp.iin and America. A bell-foundry has been efta- 

 blifiird here above three hundred years. The clothing trade, 

 formerly the chief fupport of the inhabitants, is now nearly 

 loll : one fulling mill only remains. 



Various and important privileges have been granted to 

 Glouceller by feveral monarchs : it was erected into a 

 borough by charter from king John ; Henry II. granted the 

 burgelfes tlie fame liberties and cuftoms as had been enjoyed 

 by the citizens of I^ondon ; by the aft 33 Hen. VHI., 

 which ellablilhed the bilhopric of Glouceller, it is ordered 

 that the town fiiould thenceforth be termed a city. It is 

 alio privileged as a county within itfelf. Tiie corporation, 

 afting under a charter of Charles II., confills of a mayor, 

 twelve aldermen, a high ficward, recorder, town clerk, two 

 fiieriffs, common-council, &c. The title of mayor firll oc- 

 curs in the year 1483. The high llewards have generally 

 been perfons of great eminence. Two reprefentatives to 

 parliament are elefted by the inhabitants and freemen ; the 

 number of voters is about 3,000; the earlieft return was 

 made in the twenty-third year of Edward I. The cleftions 

 are carried on in an ancient ilruilure, called the Booth-hall, 

 wliich is alio .Tppropriated to the affizes and other county 

 bufinefs. The public aflairs of the city are traufafted at 

 the Tholfey, a building luppofed to have derived its name 

 from the toll formerly received in it by the lords of the 

 manor. Very confiderable improvements have been made, 

 within the lall feventy years, in the appearance and buildings 

 of this city. It confills, principally, of four fpacious ftrcets, 

 m.eeiing each other at right angles, and taking their names 

 from tlie filuation of the gate which originally ilood at the 

 bottom of each, as Eall Gate ftreet. Well Gate llrx.»et, 

 Nortli Gale ilrcet, and South Gate llreet. At tiic intcr- 

 fcClion of the llreets, formerly ilood a large and beautiful 

 crofs ; but falling to dec.ty, and impeding tlie pafiagc of 

 caniages, it was removed in 1750 : its fcite ftill retains the 

 name. The city is well paved and lighted : and its elevated 

 lituation, with a gradual defcent on every fide, grvatly con. 

 tributes to health and cleanlinefs. The markets had long 

 been efiabliflud by prefcriptivc right ; but thofe now held, 

 on V/ednefdays and Saturdays, were chartered by Henry 111. 

 Three fairs ;'re held annually and much frequented. Tlie 

 X A 2 houfei 



