T H A 



T H A 



a part of the abbey the prefent manfion was buih by Philip, 

 the father of the late lord Weiiman. Coniidenible fragments 

 of the abbey ftill remain, wliich are protcftedby the modern 

 elevation. The park contains about 220 acres, and is lliirted 

 with woodland. 



Sir John Holt, the celebrated chief juftice of the court of 

 king's bench, was born at Thame in 1642, and died in 1709. 

 (Sei; Holt, Sir John.) — Beauties of England and Wales, 

 vol. xii. Oxforddiire ; by J. N. Brewer. 



THAMES, the name of the moil important river of 

 Great Britain, is pre-eminently ditlinguiftied for its com- 

 mercial confequence, the fcenery, edifices, and towns on its 

 banks ; for the bridges which are raifed acrofs its channel ; 

 for the vaft docks, quays, and warehoufes which are annexed 

 to it ; and for the variety and intereft of the hiftoric occur- 

 rences which are comiefted or affociated with its name. Yet, 

 though fo eminent at the prefent time, it was neglefted in 

 former ages ; and it is fmgular to remark, that its fource and 

 early progrefs have occafioned much doubt and difpute. 

 Some topographers have affigned its origin to a fpot in Ox- 

 forddiire, near the town of Thame ; while otJiers, with 

 more regard to probability and record, have traced its 

 fource to a fpring near Crickladc, in Wiltfhire. In that dif- 

 trift three or four ftreams emerge from the earth, and each 

 of thefe has been honoured with the appellation of Thames- 

 head : but at prefent it is very generally admitted, that this 

 name flriclly belongs to a fine fpring, which rifes in the 

 parifh of Kemble, in Wiltfhire, about five miles N.W. of 

 Cricklade, and two and a half miles S.W. of the town of 

 Cirenceller. Some writers ftate that the fpring-head is in the 

 parifh of Cotes, and county of Gloucefter. As a proof that 

 this ftream was defignated as the Thames, or Terns, at an 

 early period, we may refer to a Saxon charter of Malmfbury 

 Abbey, wherein it is named " Temis," as the boundary of 

 certain lands. Again, fome of the old Monkifh hiftorians 

 llate that the Danes crofTed the Thames at Cricklade in the 

 early part of the tenth century. 



It has been erroneoufly faid, that the name of this river 

 is the IJis till it arrives at Dorchefler, and receives the 

 waters of the Thame, where it attained the compound name 

 of Thamejis. Some old Oxford poets have given currency 

 and celebrity to this ftory. Pope, in his " Windfor Foreft," 

 fpeaking of the union of various ftreams with this river, 

 thus fings : 



" Firfl the famed authors of its ancient name, 



The winding Ifis, and the fruitful Thame ; 



The Kennet fwift, for filver eels renowned ; 



The Loddon flow, for verdant alders crowned ; 



Cole, whofe dark ftreams his flowery iflands lave. 



And chalky Wey, that roUs a milky wave." 



Denham, the poetical encomiaft of " Cooper's Hill," 

 thus charadterifes the Thames. 



" My eye defcending from the hill, furveys 



Where Thames among the wanton vallies ftrays. 



Thames the moft loved of all the Ocean's fons 



By his old fire to his embraces runs ; 



Hailing to pay his tribute to the fea, 



Like mortal life to meet eternity." 



The nature of the prefent work will not allow of a particu- 

 lar defcription of the courfe of this river, with brief accounts 

 of all the prominent objecls on its banks. It muft fuffice to 

 fpecify the names of the towns, chief feats, and prominent 

 features ; and refer to the former,- under their refpeftive 

 jiaraes in the Cyclopxdia, for further information, and to fuch 

 books wherein the bell accounts are to be obtained. One 

 charadleriftic of this river is entitled to notice ; atid which 



fliews, that at the original formation of fhires, and fubdiviliun 

 of lands in England, the Thames was at that time a noted 

 and conliderable ftream. From the town of Cricklade, to its 

 junftioii witli the fea at Shecrnefs, this river is a boundary, 

 or natural line of feparation, to counties. Soon after its 

 fource, it divides the counties of Wilts and Gloucefter ; 

 next, thofe of Oxford and Berks, and Buckingham and 

 Berks ; afterwards iMiddlelcx and Surrey ; and, laflly, 

 Kent and Eftex. The Thames is alfo a navigable river 

 nearly the whole of its courfe, and thus affords an eafy 

 and cheap pafTage for heavy goods from the ocean, and the 

 "port of London, to the interior parts of the ifland. By 

 means of a canal, extending from the town of Lechlade, in 

 a north -wefterly direftion, to the river Severn, the latter 

 great weftern river and the Briftol Channel are joined by a 

 navigable courfe to the Englifh Channel. See Canal, 

 Thame, and Severn. 



As neaily the whole courfe of the Thames is through a 

 plain or level country, we find its current is confequently flow 

 and ivriguous : for fifteen or twenty miles it is only a narrow 

 and fmall ftream, but after receiving the waters of feveral 

 rivulets, it afTumes a river-like appearance at Lechlade, 

 and is capable of fuftaining barges of 100 tons burthen. 

 From that town (about 138 miles by water from London) 

 to Sheernefs, it is ilridlly a navigable river. In its courfe 

 to the lea, the following rivers, befides feveral fmaller 

 ftreams, pour their waters into the Thames : the Wainrufli, 

 Evenlode, Cherwell at Oxford, Thame, Kennet, Loddon, 

 Coin, Wey, Mole, Brent, Lea, Roding, Dart, and Medway. 

 The following cities, towns, and large vallages are feated 

 on the banks of this river : wz. the cities of Oxford, Lon- 

 don, and Weitminfter ; the towns of Cricklade, Lechlade, 

 Abingdon, Wallingford, Henley, Great Marlow, Maiden- 

 head, Windfor, Staines, Kingfton, Richmond, Brentford, 

 Greenwich, Woolwich, and Gravefend ; the villages of 

 Pangbourn, Wargrave, Eton, Datchet, Old Windfor, 

 Shepperton, Wafton, Sunbury, Moulfey, Hampton and 

 Hampton-Court, Twickenliam, Ifleworth, Barnes, Chif- 

 wick, Fulham, Putney, Hammerfmith, Chelfea, Black- 

 wall, &c. The banks of this river are alfo ornamented 

 with the palaces of Windfor, Hampton-Court, Kew, Ful- 

 ham, and Lambeth : likewife the following dillinguifhed 

 feats of Englifh nobihty and gentry, befides feveral fmaller 

 villas, &c. ; Nuneham-Courtney, Bafiidon Houfe, Combe 

 Lodge, Purley, Park Place, Fawley Court, Culham Court, 

 Temple Houfe, Harleyford Houfe, Biftiam Abbey, Tap- 

 low, Cliefden, Cookham, The Willows, Beaumont Lodge, 

 Oatlands, Garrick's Villa and Pope's Villa at Twicken- 

 ham, Strawberry Hill, Thamcs-Divton, Marble-Hill Cot- 

 tage, the duke of Buccleugh's, lord vifcount Sidmouth's, 

 and Mr. Keen's at Richmond, Keppel Houfe, Sion Houfe, 

 Brandenburgh Houfe, and Ingrefs. Among the numerous 

 bridges which crofs this national river, the following are 

 juttly noted either for their beauty or extent. The firft 

 (lone bridge on its. courfe is at Enfham, and the next at 

 Lechlade ; Oxford, Abingdon, Shillingford, Wallingford, Ca- 

 verfham, Henley, Maidenhead, Eton, Staines, Walton, King- 

 fton, Richmond, Kew, Fulham, Battcrfea, Vauxhall, (finifhed 

 1816,) Weftminfter, the Waterloo and Southwark (now 

 erefting from defigns by that fcientific enigneer, John 

 Rennie, efq.), Blackfriars, and London. The laft fix may- 

 be faid to belong to the metropolis. The jurifdiclion of the 

 lord mayor of London over the river Thames, extends from 

 Coin-Ditch, near Stains, to Yendal or Yenlech, near Sheer- 

 nefs, and alfo includes parts of the rivers Lea and Medway. 

 A very interelling account of the fcenery and various ob- 

 iedls on this river, with numerous beautiful etchings by 



W. B. 



