SHREWSBURY. 



terfcftion. The chancel, choir, &c. difplay chiefly the 

 pointed ftyle. At the extremity of the former is a fpacious 

 window, in the later pointed Ityle, which is nearly filled with 

 -ftained glafs, brought from the ruins of old St. Chad's 

 churcli. The principal piece reprefents .Tetl'e in a deep 

 fleep. The fpire of this church rifcs 2 1 7 feet above the 

 fummit of the tower, upon which it reds. The monuments 

 are numerous, and lome of them curious : but we (hall only 

 notice one infcription, which is remarkable, from the cir- 

 cumftance of its commemorating a perfon named Cadman, 

 who was killed in defcending from the fummit of the fpire, by 

 a rope Planting from thence to the oppofite fide of the river 

 from that on which the church Hands. The parifh-church 

 of St. Alkmund's, like the two laft mentioned, was for- 

 merly collegiate, but its college was diffolved as early as the 

 reign of king Stephen. The old church was taken down 

 about the year 1793, and the prefent building raifed in its 

 itead, which is a clumfy imitation of our ancient architec- 

 ture. St. Juhan's church, which clofes the lift, is a plain 

 fubltantial edifice, rebuilt in 1750, on account of the ruinous 

 condition of the former edifice. 



In addition to the above ellablifhed churches, there are in 

 Shrewlbury fevcral diflenting places of worlhip, -viz. a 

 Roman Catholic chapel, a Prefbyteriau meeting-houfe, alfo 

 one for Methodifts, and another tor Quakers. 



The Charitabk Injlltutions belonging to Shrewfbury are, 

 a fmall hofpital, formerly dedicated to St. Giles, another 

 called Milhngton's hofpital, feveral alms-houfes, an in- 

 firmary, a houfe of indullry, and the free and charity-fchools. 

 The infirmary is among the earlieft provincial inititutions of 

 the kind in England, having been opened in 1747- It is fup- 

 ported by voluntary fubfcriptions, and by benefaftions. 

 The houfe is a plain but refpeftable building of brick, with 

 a Hone portico in front. The houfe of indultry was origi- 

 nally a foundling hofpital, connefted with that in London, 

 and was only converted to its prefent purpofes in 1784. It 

 is governed by direftors chofen from among the inhabitants 

 of Shrewfbury, and maintains, on an average, about 275 poor, 

 including children, partly by a rate levied on the fix panflies, 

 and partly by the produce of the labour of the paupers. The 

 free grammar-fchool was founded and endowed by king 

 Edward VI. at the requell of Henry Edwards and Richard 

 Whitaker, and was afterwards augmented by queen Eliza- 

 beth, at the inllanceof Thomas Afliton. The fchool-houfe 

 is a large and lofty ilrudture, forming two fides of a fquare 

 court. The government of this fchool is veiled in the bidiop 

 of Lichfield, and the corporation, who appoint two fchool- 

 mallers, one of whom is fupcrior to the other. Several of 

 them have been men of great talents and erudition, and have 

 cherilhcd the Iceds of knowledge in many individuals after- 

 wards diltinguilhcd in fociety. Among the latter, were fir 

 Philip Sydney ; lord Brook, lord chief juftice ; lord chief 

 juftice Price ; Ur. Bowers, bi(hop of Chichefter ; Dr. John 

 Thomas, bilhop of Salifbury ; and the learned Dr. John 

 Taylor. The learned Dr. Butler is the prefent head mailer. 

 The other public fchools in this town are Bowdler's charity- 

 fchool, founded in 1724, by Mr. Thomas Bowdlcr, alder- 

 man, for the education and clothing of poor children of St. 

 Tulian's parifli ; Allart's charity-fchool, founded in 1 798, un- 

 der a bequcll by Mr. .lohn Allart, one of the chamberlains of 

 the corporation ; and a lubfcription charity-fchool, inllituted 

 in 1708, for inftrufting poor children of the town at large. 



The Totvn and County Gaol and Bridewell, which now 

 form one building, itands near the caftle, where tiic IherifF 

 probably had liis gaol in former times. Its fituation is at 

 once beautiful and falubrious, and though it cannot boall 

 much elegance of exterior appearance, it is fpacious and 

 Vol. XXXII. 



airy, and poflefTes every convenience requifite for its different 

 purpofes. In front is a frce-ftone arched gateway, con- 

 taining a bull of Howard, by Bacon. 



The Markd-houfe is one of the largell and mod maghifi- 

 cent buildings of its kind in England. It is of the age of 

 queen Elizabeth, whofe arnis, fculptiired in high relief, de- 

 corate the portal, on each fide of which is an open arcade, 

 confining of three large circular arches, fupportcd by co- 

 lumns. The north and fouth ends of the building are likewifc 

 ornamented with large open arches, over one of which Hands 

 a (latue of Richard, duke of York, removed hither from 

 the Welfh bridge in 1791. Adjoining this building is a 

 conduit, which fupplies a great part of the town with water. 

 The Market-crofs is a flrong llrufturc of brick and ftone, 

 having a refervoir over it. The old crofs was deftroyed in 

 1 705. The Theatre, according to Phillips, the old hiftorian of 

 the town, is part of the palace formerly belonging to one of 

 the later princes of Fowls, but though evidently an ancient 

 itrufture, it feems improbable that its date (hould be fo re- 

 mote as fuch a facl would neceflarily imply. It is fitted up 

 in the interior in an appropriate manner. 



The Bridges over the Severn at this town are called the 

 Wellh bridge, and the Englifli, or Eait, bridge. Both of 

 them are new llruftures, erefted in place of older ones, which 

 had gone to decay, and were, from their narrownefs, unfuit- 

 able to the Hate of commercial advancement Shrewfbury 

 and the county at large now enjoy. The Wellh bridge 

 confills of five elegant arches, about 266 feet in aggregate 

 length, 30 feet high, and 30 broad. Adjoining to it is 

 a quay, faced with Hone, and accommodated with ware- 

 houfes. The Englilh bridge extends 400 feet in length, 

 and confifts of feven femi-circular arches, built of fine free- 

 Hone. The central arch is 60 feet fpan and 40 high from 

 the low-water mark ; and the two on each fide 35 feet wide 

 and 20 high. The breadth between the balluftrades is 2J 

 feet ; and the ornaments are at once light and graceful. 



Monajlic Injlitutions. — The principal monalliccHablilhrnent 

 in Shrewlbury was the abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, 

 which Hood in the fuburb that Hill bears its name. It was 

 founded, or, as fome will have it, refounded and endowed by 

 Roger de Montgomery, and a nobleman named Warine, 

 who filled it with monks of the Benediftine order. Thefe 

 having fubfcquently obtained pofleflion of the relics of St. 

 Winefrid, their abbey became the conilant rcfort of various 

 clalfes of people from all parts of the kingdom, who, ac- 

 cording to their circumllances, olTered donations on the (hrine 

 of the faint. This fociety, at its diilolution, confillcd of an 

 abbot, fourteen monks, and three novices, whofe annual 

 revenues, according to Dugdale, amounted to 532/. ^j. lod. 

 but Speed rates them as high as 656/. 4/. 3^/. The re- 

 mains of the abbey are very inconfiderablc, tlie ground 

 which it occupied being in great part converted into a 

 garden. There is, however, a very curious little Hrufturc, 

 which has puzzled the learned in antiquities as to its ufe : 

 by fome it is regarded as a pulpit for preaching. Its plan 

 is an odlagon, fix feet in diameter, but confiderably higher. 

 Over it is an obtule dome of Hone, fupportcd by fix narrow 

 pointed arches. The roof within is vaulted on eight ribs, 

 which fpring front the fide walls, and form a bofs at their 

 croflTing in the centre, bearing a reprefciil.ituni of the cruci- 

 fixion. 'I'he arches on the fouth fide are without ornament, 

 but three of them on the north fide are filled willi Hone 

 panels, adorned with ditleiviit figures of angels and laints. 

 The abliey church was built in ilie form of a crofs, and was 

 a fpacious and magnificent edifice ; but at prelent is in a (late 

 of dilapidation, except the wcHern aifle, which is now ufed 

 as a parifh-church, inftead of St. Giles's. The other rcli- 

 4 K giou« 



