T H I 



T H I 



in many parts of the north of the above coHntry ; and it is 

 known, from what has already been mentioi.vd, that there 

 were many eltatcs, or fer-vient ieneituti's, belonging to one 

 proprietor, which were allridled to mills, or the dominant 

 tenements, belonging to another proprietor, and that not 

 a few of thcfe thirlages were the fevere one of groiuing 

 corns. 



The writer does not think it here neceflary to inquire whe- 

 ther thefe mills were originally erected by the clergy, and 

 fince the reformation in religion, have pafTed into the hands of 

 laymen ; or whether, perhaps, if mills are truly of Saxoii 

 origin, they were generally, and at once introduced into 

 the above country, when under the Saxons, wlio certainly 

 •were, it is thought, a more enlightened people than the 

 Scottifli and Piftidi inhabitants of the North, whole igno- 

 rance, of courfe, may have led them more generally to fub- 

 jeft thcmlelves in the fervitude of thirlage, to invite their 

 clergy, or a few of the more wealthy among them, to 

 undertake the arduous talk of erefting mills. 



From the near analogy betwixt tithes and thirlage, it has 

 appeared to the writer a matter of juft furprife, that the 

 parliament of the above country, which, in the courfe of 

 a preceding century, firft authorifed the valuing of tithes 

 for the purpofe of fixing a modus of payment, and after- 

 wards compelled the lay titulars (proprietors) to f?ll their 

 tithes at nine, and in fome cafes at fix years' purchafe, to 

 the proprietors of the lands, did not introduce a fixed 

 modus for thirlage, which certainly operated like tithes, as 

 a tax upon induftry, to bar, or at leaft to retard agricul- 

 tural improvement in its progrefs. Sec Tithe. 



THIRLBY, Styan, LL.D. in Biography, a learned 

 critic, was born about the year 1692 at Leicefter, and 

 iir.iflied his education at Jefus college, Cambridge, blending 

 promifing talents with felf-conceit, litigioufnefs of temper, 

 and a habit of intemperance. He appeared at an early age 

 as a writer of controverfial pamphlets, and thus acquiring 

 fome degree of reputation, obtained the fellowfhip of his 

 college at the age of about 2 1 years. In maturer Ufe he 

 probably applied to Itudy with greater dihgence, for his 

 edition of Juftin Martyr, to which he was indebted for 

 literary reputation, was publifhed in 1722. Verfatile in his 

 difpofition, he diverted his attention at this time from divi- 

 nity to phyfic, and accepted the port of librarian to the 

 duke of Chandos. In this ftation he continued for a fhort 

 time, and being under a neceffity of quitting it, he became 

 firft a ftudent in civil law, and afterwards in common law. 

 Weary of thefe purfuits, he refided in the houfe of his former 

 pupil, fir Edward Walpole, by whofe intereft he obtained a 

 finecure place in the port of London, of the value of about 

 100/. a-year. Upon leaving this afylum, he took private 

 lodgings ; but continued to indulge his habit of fotting and 

 intoxication. He is faid to have contributed fome notes to 

 Theobald's edition of Shakfpeare ; but his felf-indulgence 

 and indolence rendered him unfit for mental exertion, and 

 he doled his career in December 1753. His edition of 

 Juftin Martyr, cenfured by fome, but regarded upon the 

 whole as a valuable performance, contains Juftin's two apo- 

 logies, and his dialogue with Tryphon the Jew, Greek and 

 Latin, with notes and emendations by the editor, and feledl 

 notes by former editors. Nichols's Lit. Anecd. Gen. 

 Bio^. 



THIRLWAL Castle, in Geography, a boundary 

 fortrefs between England and Scotland, on the PiAs' Wall ; 

 3 miles N.W. of Haltwefel. 



THIRON de Gardais, a town of France, in the de- 

 partment of the Euve and Loire, 21 miles S.W. of 

 Chartros. 



Vol. XXXV. 



THIRSK, or Tmrusk, a borough and market -town in 

 the wapentake of Birdforth, North Riding of the county of 

 York, England ; is 23 miles N.W. by N. from the city of 

 York, and 223 miles N.N.W. from London. It is fituated 

 in a plain, nearly furrounded by hills, on the banks of a 

 rivulet c?lled Cod-beck, which divides the town into two 

 parts, refpeftively named the Old Town and the New, 

 which are connedled by two fmall ftone bridges. The two 

 towns are diftindl, as far as relates to the eleftion of mem- 

 bers ; but in all other refpcfts are confidered as one. The 

 civil government is vefted in a bailiff, annually chofen by 

 the burgage holders. The New Town ftands within the 

 precinfts of the ancient caftle of the Mowbrays. In the 

 centre of the town is the market-place ; which would be 

 one of the fiueft in the county, were it not for the tolbooth 

 and Ihamblcs, now in a ruinous condition. The market is 

 held on Mondays, and is well fupplied with all kinds of 

 provifions. Five fairs are held annually for liorned cattle, 

 fheep, leather, and woollen cloth. Thefe fairs attraft a 

 confidcrable number of dealers, and, with the advantage of 

 the great North road from York, are very beneficial to the 

 town, and in fome degree fupply the want of maimfaftures, 

 of which here are only a fmall quantity of coarfe linens and 

 facking, and a few bridles and faddles. The population, 

 as returned to parhament in the year 181 1, confifted of 

 2155 perfons, occupying 549 houfes. The parifh church 

 ftands on a rifing ground at the northern extremity of the 

 town. The roof, which is elliptical, and of oak, orna- 

 mented with carving, is fupported by a double row of 

 pillars and pointed arches. In the fouth wall of the chancel, 

 near the altar, are three ornamented ftone feats. The church is 

 generally fuppofed to have been built out of the ruins of the 

 ancient caftle, which was demoliftied in the reign of Henry II. 

 A moat and rampart are ftill to be feen, but no veftige of 

 the building remains ; and in Camden's time, it was nearly 

 in the fame ftate. It had once, however, been a place of 

 great ftrength, when held by the potent Mowbray family. 

 It was here that Roger de Mowbray began his rebellion 

 againft Henry II. and joined the king of Scotland againft 

 his own fovereign. The revolt was fupprefled, and the 

 caftle of Thirdv, as well as feveral others belonging to the 

 rebellious lords, were by the king's order deftroyed. Be- 

 fides the pai-ifh church, the Calvinifts, the Quakers, and 

 the Methodifts, have their refpeftive meeting-houfes. Here 

 is alfo a School of Induftry for poor girls, who are clothed 

 and taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, plain work, 

 knitting, &c. 



That divifion of the town called Old Thirjk, is a borough 

 by prefcription, and returns two members to parliament. 

 The right of aleftion is in the occupiers of burgage tene- 

 ments, now only fifty in number, of which forty-nine are 

 the property of fir Thomas Frankland, bart. Old Thirflc 

 confifts of a range of cottages on each fide of the turnpike 

 road leading from York to Stockton, and of two fquares 

 furrounded by the fame kind of buildings. In one of thefe 

 fquares, called St. James's Green, the cattle fairs are held ; 

 the other is the fcite of an ancient church, of which, time 

 has long fince fwept away every veftige. In the latter of 

 thefe fquares is an elm-tree of venerable antiquity, from 

 which the place takes its name, Hawm (that is Elm) 

 Green ; and under the fliade of whofe branches the mem- 

 beis of parliament are elefted. One of the cliief incon- 

 veniences of Thirflc and the adjacent country, is the fcareity 

 and high price of coal, which is brought from, the county of 

 Dui'ham in fmall carts, containing from eighteen to twenty- 

 two bufhels, varying in price according to the feafon. 



In the vicinity of the town is Byland abbey, which was 

 3 Z founded 



