SOUTHAMPTON. 



fierce fkirraifli enfued between the partifans of the white 

 and red rofes, in which feveral of the inhabitants loft their 

 lives. The Yorkifts being at length viftorious, the leaders 

 of the Lancallerian party were made prifoners. Edward 

 was of a temper too jealous and fevere to pardon fo great 

 an infult on his government. Haftening immediately to 

 Southampton, he commiffioned Tibetot, or Tiptoft, earl of 

 Worcefter, to fit in judgment on the prifoners. About 

 twenty of tliem were tried, condemned, and executed ; but 

 the malice of the monarch, not fatisfied with that infliftion, 

 which ought to have clofed the fcene of human punifhment, 

 permitted their breathlefs carcafes to be impaled, and ex- 

 pofed in this horrid ilate to the public gaze : a mean grati- 

 fication of impotent revenge, ufelefs as it was unpopular, 

 which brought a deferved odium on the king, and on Tip- 

 toft, as the minifter of his vengeance. Leland's CoUeftanea, 

 i. 502. 



Among the number of royal viCtors who have occa- 

 fionally honoured Southampton with their prefence, it 

 reckons the emperor Charles V., who, in 1522, embarked 

 here on board the Enghfh fleet, which conveyed him to 

 Spain. We have alfo to mention Edward VI. In the 

 year 1552 this prince, having been attacked by both the 

 meafles and fmall-pox, his conititution was fo much weak- 

 ened, as to render relaxation abfolutely neceflary. By the 

 advice of his phyficians, therefore, he made a tour of amufe- 

 ment through the weftern and fouthern parts of his king- 

 dom, attended by 320 foldiers, and courtiers and fervants 

 to the amount of 4000 horfe. Amongft other places, he 

 vifited Southampton, and was received by the inhabitants 

 with much refpeft, and coitly preparations. In 1534, 

 Philip, then prince of Spain, but who afterwards reigned 

 as Philip II., landed here, when he came to marry Mary I. 

 queen of England. Queen Elizabeth kept her court here 

 in 1569 ; and in 157J granted to the corporation the arms, 

 which are now ufed in the town-feal. 



Camden, who wrote in the reign of queen Elizabeth, 

 fays, that the town was, in his time, famous for the num- 

 ber and beauty of its buildings, its affluent inhabitants, and 

 the refort ef numerous merchants. But after this, South- 

 ampton appears to have declined in its trade and confe- 

 quence ; being, in the year 1695, (as Gibfon, in his edition 

 of Camden, obferves,) " not in the fame flouriftiing ftate as 

 formerly : for, having loft its trade, it has loft alfo moft of 

 its inhabitants ; and the great houfes of its merchants are 

 now dropping to the ground, and only Ihew its ancient 

 magnificence." Since that time, however, trade has again 

 brought its advantages to Southampton : numerous opulent 

 families alfo have been attrafted, by the beauty of its neigh- 

 bourhood, to fettle in and around it ; and it is at prefent 

 a town of the firft beauty and confideration in the weft of 

 England. 



Commerce and Trade. — Southampton has many confider- 

 able wine, corn, and timber merchants. Hemp, iron, and 

 tallow, from Ruffia, and tar and pitch from Sweden, are 

 imported. Englifh iron is brought coaft-ways from Wales ; 

 and coals, lead, and glafs, are conveyed by the coUiers from 

 Newcaftle. The importations from Portugal are chiefly 

 wine and fruit. To Jerfey and Guernfey 6000 tons of un- 

 wrought wool are allowed to be exported annually ; great 

 part of which is again returned, manufatlured into coarfe 

 knit hofe. During the laft war, large quantities of Spanifti 

 wool were landed here. Contrafts for bifcuits for the navy, 

 and bread and clothing for the army, were executed to a 

 conu'lerable extent. A filk-manufattory employs a num- 

 ber of children. Ship-building is alfo carried on at dif- 

 ferent docks near the town. At Woodraill, in the neigh- 



10 



bourhood, the late Mr. Walter Taylor's curious machinery 

 for the manufafture of blocks and pumps for (hipping ftill 

 exiils ; but the chief bufinefs of fuppiying the navy is now 

 transferred to Portfmouth dock-yard. The lateft bye-law$ 

 for the regulation of the port and harbour of Southampton 

 were arranged in an aft of parhament, pafled 43d Geo. III. 



The corporation, according to its laft charter, granted 

 by Charles I., confifts of a mayor, a recorder, ninejuftices, 

 a flierifF, two bailiffs, twenty-four comraon-councilmen, and 

 as many burgefles. All who have pafled the chair are 

 aldermen. The town, which was made a borough by 

 Henry II., and by king John (or, as others fay, by 

 Henry VI.) a county in itfeif, is independent of the lord 

 lieutenant and ftieriff of Hampfliire. The mayor is admiral 

 of the liberties, from South-fea caftle to Huril caftie, and 

 half fea over from Calftiot to the Ifle of Wight. There are 

 about 700 voters for the two members in parliament for 

 this place ; and not only thofe who pay fcot and lot, but 

 out-burgefles alfo vote. It may be here obferved, that 

 feveral royal burgefles have been enrolled among this cor- 

 poration : the late prince of Wales, in 1750, at his parti- 

 cular requeft ; the late dukes of York, Cumberland, and 

 Gloucefter ; his prefent majefty ; the prince regent ; the 

 dukes of York, Kent, Cumberland, Suflex, and Cam- 

 bridge ; the duke of Wirtemberg alfo, who pafled through 

 this town immediately after his arrival from the continent. 



There are two annual fairs, the principal of which is 

 Trinity fair, held near Chapel Mill, adjoining to the town. 

 It commences on Saturday noon in Whitfun-week, and 

 continues till Wednefday noon in Trinity-week ; but Mon- 

 day is the chief day of bufinefs, when there is a tolerable 

 ftiow of cattle. The fenior bailiff' prefides during the fair, 

 having a tent, in which he entertains the corporation, and his 

 other vifitants. During the continuance of the fair, no one 

 can be arrefted for debt within its precinfts. St. Mark's 

 fair is held above Bar, on the 6th and 7th of May. Three 

 weekly markets, on Tuefday, Thurfday, and Saturday, 

 are well fupplied with excellent fifli, poultry, meat, butter, 

 fruit, and vegetables. 



The falmon taken in the Southampton Water is excellent, 

 though much lefs plentiful than formerly ; when it is faid 

 to have been neceflary to ttipulate in indentures, that ap- 

 prentices fliould not be obliged to eat of this fi(h oftener 

 than once a day. 



Public Buildings, ^c. — Of late years Southampton has 

 been much frequented as a watering-place ; for which pur- 

 pofe its pecuharly healthful and pleafant fituation is ex- 

 tremely favourable. The aifembly-rooms are fituated near 

 the weft quay, and very elegantly fitted up. A theatre was 

 erefted here in 1766 ; but not being found large enough, a 

 new one, on a much more commodious and extenfive fcale, 

 has fince been built on the fcite of St. John's hofpital. 



The population of Southampton, as returned under the 

 aft of 1801, was 7913, Wz. 3390 males, and 4523 females ; 

 the number of houfe& was 1582. But the return of 181 1 

 ftated the population at 9617, viz. males 4130, and females 

 5487 ; the number of houfes 1669. 



As already noticed, the northern extremity of the old 

 High-ftreet is terminated by an ancient fortified gate-houfe, 

 called the Bar-gate. This is a curious itrufture, and con- 

 fifts of a central arched paflage, about eighteen yards in 

 length, and four in width. On both fides of this are twa 

 lateral paflages, or poftern door-ways. This majeftic 

 portal was principally built in the reign of Edward III. ; 

 and, according to the architefture of that time, it is both 

 machicolated and embattled. On its north front are por- 

 trayed two gigantic figures, one on eack fide of the gate- 

 way j 



