SOUTHAMPTON. 



way ; which are traditionally faid to have been intended to 

 reprefent, the one, Afcupait, or Afcapard, a terrible giant 

 and mighty warrior ; and the otlicr, fir Bevois, or Bevis, of 

 Southampton, who, accordinj^ to the popular legends, flew 

 him in combat. Over the arches of the gate is the town- 

 hall, which is 52 feet long, and 21 feet wide. 



The Callle was fituated on the weft fide of the town, but 

 very little of the ancient building itfelf is remaining. Its 

 area was of a form approaching to a femicircle, or rather of 

 a horfe-rtioe ; in the louthern part of which ftood the keep, 

 on a very high artificial mount. This keep was circular, 

 but has given place to a fmaller and more modern round 

 tower, erefted with the materials of the former one. The 

 view of the town and the adjacent country from this fpot is 

 extremely mterelling. The callle was purchafcd by the 

 late marquis of Lanfdowne, who made great additions and 

 alterations to it, and fitted it up in a coltly, but fantaftic 

 ftyle. 



There were formerly in Southampton fix parifli churches : 

 thofe of Holy-Rood, St. Michael, All-Saints, St. Law- 

 rence, St. John, and St. Mary. But in the reign of 

 Charles II. the parifhcs of St. John and St. Lawrence were 

 united, and the church of the former was taken down : a 

 burying-ground now occupies the fpot on which it Hood. 



Holy-Rood church has a fine organ, and feveral hand- 

 fome monuments ; one of which, by Ryfbrack, to the me- 

 mory of Mifo Stanley, has an infcription from the pen of 

 the a\ithor of "The Seafons," Thompfon. St. Michael's 

 church is the moft ancient in the town, and has a fine (lender 

 o&angular fpire, which greatly adds to the beauty of many 

 profpefts : it was erefted for a mark or guide to fhips en- 

 tering the port. In the north aifle of the chancel is a hand- 

 fome monument to the memory of the lord chancellar 

 Wriothefley ; and in the oppofite aifle, on the fouth, is a 

 curious antique font. In this church the mayor is always 

 fworn into office. All-Saints church is a modern ItruCture, 

 wliich does honour to the genius of its architett, the late 

 Mr. Revely. St. Mary's and St. Lawrence's churches are 

 not particularly remarkable. 



A fpacious manfion in Porter's-lane, near the fcitc of the 

 Water-gate, difplays confiderable antiquity. It has been 

 minutely defcribed by fir H. C. Englefield ( Archxologia, 

 vol. xiv.), in a " Walk through Southampton," who con- 

 jeftures it to have conititutcd a part of the palace occa- 

 fionally inhabited by the Saxon and Danifli fovereigns. 

 The length of the building in front is 1 1 1 feet. 



The Domus-Dei, or God's Houfe, is an hofpital, 

 founded, according to Leland, in the reign of Henry III., 

 by two merchants, brothers, of the names of Gervafius and 

 Protofius. " Tliefe two brethren, as ther Icrned, dwellyd 

 in the very place, where the hofpitale is now, at fuch tyme 

 as old Hampton was brent by pyrates ; thefe two brethren, 

 for Goddes fake, caufed their houfe to be turnid into an 

 hofpitale for poor folkes, and endowed it with fonie landes." 

 By a charter of 6 Edw. III., however, it feems that Roger 

 Hampton foundt-d it ; but at what time is not known. It 

 was given by Edward III. to Queen's college, Oxford, 

 which had been founded by Philippa, his contort ; and to 

 that inllitution it Hill belongs. The prefent ellablifhment 

 confifls of a warden, four aged men, and as many women, 

 who are allowed two fliillings each, weekly, from the col- 

 lege ; and have a yearly donation of coals, under the will 

 of the late Mrs. Fifield, of Southampton. 



Among other ancient inititutions in this town was a 

 houfe of Grey friars, founded in the year 1240, but of 

 which fcarcely any remains are now ftanding ; part of its 

 fcite being occupied by Glouceller-fquarc ; and another 



part by a building now ufed as a waretioufe, •< for the vaft 

 quantities of Spaniih wool, which, by Jlrtfs of -jjealhcr, are 

 landed here every year." St. John's hofpital, for the in- 

 itruftion of fix boys in the woollen manufafture, has been 

 lately given to the poor-houfe by the corporation, with the 

 confent of the heirs of the founder. 



A free grammar-fchool was eftablifhed in Southampton 

 by Edward VI., in an old building in Winkle-llreet, now 

 ufed as a carpet-manuf.iftory ; fr.im which, many year* 

 afterwards, it was removed to its prefent fituation, an an- 

 cient manfion, known by the name of Weft-Hall. Here 

 are alfo a charity fchool, a Sunday fchool, and a fchool of 

 induftry ; and near the entrance of the town, on the right, 

 is a neat range of alms-houfes, for eighteen poor widows, 

 who are allowed two fliillings each, weekly, from the pro- 

 duce arifing from a bcqueft by Robert Thorner, efq. of 

 B.iddefley, who died in July, 1690. 



The environs of Southampton are noted for piAurefque 

 fcenery, handfome villas, and interefting objects of anti- 

 quity. About one mile north-eaft of the town is the fcite 

 of the ancient Claufentum. Tlie fituation of this ftation 

 has been a matter of dilpute among antiquaries, nor was it 

 exaftly fettled till the year 1792, when the Rev. Mr. Warner 

 publiftied an eftay to prove it to be at Bittern, and rendered 

 any farther doubt on the fubjeft fuperfluous : moreover, 

 fome late difcoveries made there, in the formation of the 

 bridge over the Itchin, and of tlie road connefted with 

 it, have fully confirmed whatever Mr. Warner had previoufly 

 advanced as conjeftural. An account of thefe difcoveries 

 has been publilhed, with an engraved plan of the fituation, 

 in the rirli volume of " The Hampdiire Repofitory." The 

 time when Claufentum became a ftation has alfo been a 

 fubjeft of difpute ; but Mr. Warner pronounces it to have 

 been formed under the diredlion of Vefpafian, during his 

 continuance in the fouthern parts of Britain. 



In 1804 and 1805 other difcoveries were made at Bittern, 

 by the late proprietor, Henry Simpfon, efq. of which a de- 

 tailed account has been given by fir H. C. Englefield, bart. 

 in liis " Walk through Southampton," 2d edit. 



Immediately facing Bittern, on the weft fide, is Bevis- 

 Hill, fo called from a tradition, that fir Bevis, the fa- 

 mous knight of Southampton, lies buried under it. It 

 now makes part of the gardens formed by the late earl of 

 Peterborough, and in which his lordftiip was ufed to walk 

 with Arbuthnot and Pope. 



About half a mile north of Southampton is Belle-Vue, a 

 handfome building, with iiighlypiAiirefque pleafiirc-groundi, 

 belonging to Jofiah Jacklon, efq. Two miles from this 

 town, tow.irds the north-eaft, is Portfwood Houfe, a manfion 

 of the late Gil s Stibbert, efq. who ercded it in 1771, from 

 defigns by Mr. Crunden, architett. Since then it has been 

 much altered. Seated on an emmence, it commands exten- 

 five and diverfified views of the Itchin river, Southampton 

 Water and town, and much line wooded fcenery. In the 

 parifh of South Stoneham is Wood-Mill, built by the late 

 Walter Taylor, for the manufadory of blocks and pumps 

 for the navy. The improvements made in thefe articles by 

 Meffrs. Taylor and fon, have been of great miportance in 

 naval tactics. In 1759 thefe gentlemen exhibited fpecimens 

 of biockj, ftiivers, and pins before the Board of Ordnance, 

 who immediately commiffioned the inventors to prepare and 

 fupply all the gun-tackle blocks for the navy. From this 

 time feveral improvements were made in the machinery and 

 mechanical formation of blocks, &c. and equal improve- 

 ments in the conftruftion of (hip-pumps. By one of thefe, 

 called the double b<uling machine, four tons of water may 

 be railed in two minutes and a half, ud even vrith or with- 

 out 



