R A M 



J{ A M 



lake called Ugg-Mcre, and at the diltaiice ot a mile ftirtlier 

 northwards, is a Hill laroor coll'.ction of water, named 

 Whittlelca-Mere ; and tlicre is a third to the iiortii-eall ol 

 the town, ilyled Ramley-Mere. All thefe lakis abound witii 

 firti of various kinds. Running northwards ironi tiiat lad 

 mentioned, is a hiyli caufeway, called King's-delf, or dyke, 

 which is mentioned in record as early as the reign of king 

 Edgar. It is commonly confounded with Cnuts-delf, or 

 Swerdes-deU, called alfo Steeds-dyke, which forms the 

 boundary of this county wilii Cambridgelhire. Beauties of 

 England and Wales, vol. vii. by E. \V. Br.iyley, 1808. 



Ramsicv, //7f of', an illand in the cwmwd of Mynyw, 

 cantref of Pybidiog, (now called tlie hundred of Dewiiland,) 

 and county of Pembroke, South Wales, is iituated in the 

 Irifh fea, oppofite to the promontory called St. David's 

 Head, from which it is about three miles dillant. This ifland 

 is nearly four miles in length, and exceeds one mile in breadth. 

 Throughout its whole extent the furface is lofty, and at 

 each extremity a mountain (hoots to a great height above the 

 general level, giving the idand a very romantic appearance. 

 From the fliore the afcent is bold and precipitous on all fides, 

 and at one fpot, called the Choir, the rocks aliume an amphi- 

 theatrical form, and rile perpendicularly to a ilupendous ele- 

 vation. Ramfey was formerly cultivated, but is now chiefly 

 appropriated as pafturage for (lieep and horfes. It is abun- 

 dantly fupplied with frelh water, for which benefit tradition 

 records that the illand is indebted to Jullinian, a devotee 

 from Brittany, who fettled here in the fifty century. Here 

 were anciently two chapels, one facred to Devanus, or De- 

 vynoy, and the other to Juftinian above-mentioned, who was 

 murdered by his fervants, and buried on the fpot where the 

 ohapel was railed to his memory. Ramfey belongs to the 

 bifiiop of St. David's, as do likewife feveral fmaller iflands 

 in its vicinity, of which feven are dillinguiflied by the appel- 

 lation of the Bifhop and his Clerks. Innumerable flocks of 

 birds frequent and breed on thefe iHands, and, among other 

 kinds, the celebrated hunting falcon is frequently leen. An 

 Hillorical Tour through Pembrokell-iire, by Richard Fen- 

 ton, F. S. A. Carlifle's Topographical Didlionary ot 

 Wales, 4to. 1 8 13. 



RAMSGATE, a member of the town and port of 

 Sandwich, m the upper half hundred of Ringlow, I lie of 

 Thanet, lathe of St. Augultine, and county of Kent, Eng- 

 land, is fituated on the ihore of the German ocean, at the 

 diitance of 72 miles S.E. from London. Like Margate, 

 ft was formerly only a fmall filhing hamlet, confifting of a 

 few mean, and indifferently built, houles. In the reign of 

 queen Elizabeth, indeed, it was returned in the maritime fur- 

 vey as having no more than feventy failors belonging to it, 

 and thefe chiefly iilhermen. What firil gave it importance 

 was the extenfion of the Rulfian trade after the revolution 

 in 1 688 ; but it is chiefly indebted for its prefent conlequence 

 to the improvements made in the harbour fince the middle 

 of the lalt century ; for although a pier for (hipping exiflied 

 here, at leall from the time of Henry VIII., yet it was al- 

 together inadequate to afford fccurity to the numerous (hips 

 driven on the coaft; in tempelhious weather. Parliarnent was 

 therefore induced, at the petition of the merchants and (hip- 

 owners who were intereiled, to pafs an aft, ordering a proper 

 harbour to be formed for the reception " of (hips of, and under, 

 300 tojis burthen." Under this aft truft.ces were, as ufual, ap- 

 pointed ; and in the year 1749-50, the work was begun, ac- 

 cording to defigns by William Ockenden, efq., and captain 

 Robert Brooke. So many difficulties, however, occurred 

 in carrying it into execution, that the harbour was not com- 

 pleted till the year 1791. The fum which the whole coft ex- 

 ceeded 600,000/. ; but that amount is trivial compared to 

 Vol. XXIX. 



the great benefit derived from it to our fliipping intereft. 

 The area ot the harbour is nearly circular, and compreliends 

 about forty-fix acres. The piers, l)a(in, &c. are conftrudted 

 of Purbeck and Portland Hone, principally the latter. The 

 entire length of the eafl; pier, including its flexures, or 

 angles, amounts to nearly 2000 feet ; tliat of the wefl pier i> 

 about 1500 feet ; the width of the entrance is 240 feet. The 

 geueral breadth of the piers is twenty-fix feet, including a 

 Itrong parapet, which defimds the outer fides next the lea. 

 AVhat is called the Eall Channel, is formed by the pafTage 

 between the eall pier and a large bank of fand which nearly 

 erodes the harbour as far as the bafin, and is of confiderabK- 

 ufc for (hips to bring \ip upon, in heavy gales, wiien driven 

 into the harbour without anchors or cablet;. Near the- norili 

 end of the wed pier is a miffive frame work of timber, and 

 a llaircafc, called Jacob's ladder, forming a communication 

 from the top to the bottom of the cllfl". The eall pier is a 

 favourite promenade in fummer, and is much admired for 

 the peculiarly fine fca-viev^ s wliich it commands. 



In judicial proceedings, Ramfgate is technically denoted 

 the ^)/7/f of Ramfgale. It is in the parifli of St. Lawrence, 

 and is ailefled to that church, but it maintains its own poor 

 leparately, and the inliabltants liave the right of choofing 

 one churcl>warden from among themfelves. As an ancient 

 member of the town of Sandwich, it is in fubjeftion to the 

 juftices of that place. The mayor of Sandwich appoints 

 a deputy, or conilable, here, and the inhabitants are allotted 

 by the commillioners of that borough, what proportion of 

 land tax they (hall pay. A fmall annual fum is alfo paid 

 out of the duties coUefted at Ramfg.ite harbour towards the 

 fupport of Sandwich haven. The influx of vifitors to this 

 town of late years has greatly increafed, and has confequently 

 occafioiied a corifiderable extenfion of its buildings. A 

 market has been ellabliflied for fevcra! years ; and the (Ireets 

 are paved, lighted, and watched, under the authority of an 

 aft of parliament pafled in 1785. Here is a fpacious chapel 

 of eafe, and feveral meeting-houles for didenters of different 

 denominations. The accommodation for the fummer refi- 

 dents are fimilar to thole at Margate, though perhaps lefs 

 numerous, and fcarcely fo fplendid. The affembly room 

 and tavern is a fpacious building adjoining the harbour. It 

 is elegantly fitted up, and contains convenient tea and card- 

 rooms, a biUiard-room, and a coffee-room. Here are like- 

 wife feveral good inns, with bathing-rooms, libraries, 

 boarding-houfes, &c. The bathing-place is a fine fandy 

 fhore, beneath the cliffs to the fouth of the pier : the ma- 

 chines are fimilar to thofe at Margate, iiiz. a fort of clofe 

 caravan, having a door and fmall flight of Iteps behind, by 

 which the bathers dclcend to the water, and are concealed 

 from view by a pendant covermg of canvas. Within tb<^ 

 lalt forty years the population of Ramfgate has increafed 

 almoil in the ratio of three to one. In iBci, according to 

 tiie parliamentary returns, it contained 726 honfes, and 

 31 10 inhabitants ; but, in 1 8 1 1 , the former were returned as 

 amounting to 919, and the latter to 4221. 



Half a mile wefhvard from Ramfgate is Ellington, an- 

 ciently a feat of a family of the fame name, who, towards 

 the end of the reign of Edward IV., were fucceeded by the 

 Thatchers, another ancient Kentifh family, from whom it 

 palled to the Sparkllngs. St. Lawrence is a large village, fitu- 

 ated on th:- brow of the hill overlooking Ramfgate ; the houfes 

 forming a long winding ilreet along the high road to London. 

 The church here is a fpacious edifice, confifting of a nave, 

 aifles, and three chancels, with a fquare tower, fupported 

 upon four maffive columns, bftween the nave and principal 

 chancel. The tower, and part of the body, arc of Norman 

 architefture, and on the outfide of the former, by way of 



3 E decoration. 



