U X B 



II X B 



el.iftic vapour fuddeiily produced, we may account for the 

 cxplofions accompanied by noifes. The accumulation of 

 fteam will caufe agitation in the column of water, and a far- 

 ther produclion of vapour. The prefTure of the column 

 will be overcome ; and the fteam efcaping, will force the 

 water upwards along with it. For a further account of 

 thefe fprings, and of the caufes that produce them, illuf- 

 trated by appropriate engravings, we refer to Mackenzie's 

 Travels in Iceland, p. 211, &c. Sec Boiling Springs. 



UXAMA, [Ofma,] in Ancient Geography, a town in the 

 interior of Hifpania Citerior, belonging to the Arevaci, 

 S.E. of CHnia. 



UXAMABAREA, a town of Hifpauia Citerior, be- 

 longing to the Autrigones. Ptolemy. 



UXDRIDGE, in Geography, a market-town in the 

 hundred of Elthorne, and county of Middlefex, England, 

 is fituatcd 18 miles W. by N. from St. Paul's cathedral, 

 London. Though the moft confiderable town in the county, 

 it is only a hamlet to the parilh of Hillingdon. The name 

 of this place was anciently written Oxebruge, and in fubfe- 

 qnent records Woxebruge or Woxebrugge : the mode of ortho- 

 graphy in prefent ufe appears, however, to have been 

 adopted for feveral centuries. The compound term of 

 which this appellation was formed, appears eafy of explana- 

 tion : the place was noted, in remote ages, for the paffage 

 of oxen from the adjacent rich paftufe lands of Buckingham- 

 (hire, and a bridge was conftrucled over the river Colne at 

 a very early period. Leland fays of this town — " In it is 

 but one long ftreet, but that, for timber, well buildcd. 

 There is a celebrate market once a week, and a great fayre 

 on the feaft-day of St. Michael. There be two wooden 

 bridges at the weft ende of the towne, and under the more 

 wefle gocth the great arnie of Colne river. The lefter arme 

 goeth under the other bridge, and each of them ferve there 

 a greate mille." Uxbridge, at prefent, confifts principally 

 of one long and wide ftreet : the greater part of the houfes 

 are old ; but there are feveral of modern conftruftion, 

 which are at once commodious and ornamental. The main 

 ftream of the Colne, and feveral of its diverging branches, 

 water the town on the Buckinghamftiirc fide, where the 

 principal channel is crofted by a fubflantial bridge of brick. 

 Over the Grand Junftion Canal, which paftes the fame divi- 

 fion of the town in its progrefs along the wettern border 

 of Middlefex, is likewife a bridge of a fimilar defcription. 

 The difference, as to the appearance and charafter of the 

 place, between the i6th century and the prefent period, 

 thus feems to confift chiefly in the fubftitution of brick for 

 timber, in the houfes and bridges. The moft memorable 

 hiftorical event conncfted with Uxbridge, is the unfuccefs- 

 ful treaty which here took place between commiflioncrs 

 appointed, by the king on one fide, and by the parliament 

 on the other, during the civil dillurbances of the 17th cen- 

 tury. Tliele commiftioncrs, fixteen on the part of the 

 kuig, and twelve for the parliament, met in January 1645 ? 

 all of them diftinguiftied noblemen or perfons of great emi- 

 nence on each fide : commiflioners from the parliament of 

 Scotland likewile attended the meeting. It was foon found 

 that no rational dilcuflion could be cxpeftcd : the demands 

 of the parliament were exorbitant, and their commiflioners 

 were not inclined to accommodation : after twenty days 

 pafted in debate, in which the refult appeared to be pre- 

 determined, the commiflion was diffolved, and the decifion 

 unhappily left to the fword. The manfion in which the 

 commiflioners met is Itill remaining, and is fituated at the 

 weftern extremity of the town. It has been recently con- 

 verted into an inn, bearing the fign of the Crown, and has 

 undergone confiderable alterations. Two principal rooms 



Vol. XXXVII. 



remain in their original ft ate ; one of which, from tradition, 

 and from its capacious dimenfions, appears to be that ufed 

 by the commiflioners. To the prefent day, the building is 

 termed the Treaty Houfe. This manfion, with the cere- 

 monial and procedure of the commiflion, is particularly de- 

 fcribed by lord Clarendon in his " Hiflory of the Great 

 RebeUion." Uxbridge does not afford any public build- 

 ings pecuHarly interefting. Its chapel is an irregular edifice, 

 chiefly eompofed of flint and brick : it is in the pointed 

 ftyle of architefture, but quite dcftitute of the impofing 

 beauty which that mode of building is capable of p-oducing : 

 its interior comprifes a chancel, a nave, and two aifles, 

 divided by pointed arches. It is believed that a chapel 

 exifted here fo early as the year 1281 ; but it is not men- 

 tioned in the records of Hillingdon till 1469 : yet, that 

 Uxbridge did poffefs a chapel prior to the latter date is 

 evident ; for, in 1447, Robert Oliver and other inhabitants 

 founded a guild " in the chapel of St. Margaret at Wos- 

 bridge ;" and in 1459 a chantry in this chapel was founded 

 and endowed by fir Walter Shiryngton. In 1682, George 

 Townfend, efq. taking into confideration that in fuch a 

 populous town the place of worfiiip was deftitute of a 

 fuitable endowment, bequeathed certain tenements in Lon- 

 don for the maintenance of a minifter to refide in or near 

 Uxbridge : and in 1706, a houfe was built by the inhabit- 

 ants for the ufe of the refident minifter, on condition of his 

 inftrufting fix poor boys in reading and writing, or other- 

 wife paying 61. per annum to the churchwardens. Thi« 

 houfe is let by the prefent minifter, and fix boys are in- 

 ftrufted at his coft in the parochial fchool. Here are meet- 

 ing-houfes for Quakers, Preftiyterians, and Methodifts. 

 In 1695, George Pitt, efq. conveyed the manor of Ux- 

 bridge, with its tolls and appurtenances, to certain inhabit- 

 ants of the town, in truft, that the profits fliould be applied 

 to charitable purpofes. This liberal grant is immediately 

 connected with the fchools for gratuitous education, of 

 which there are two in the town, both much enlarged in 

 1805. The fchool for boys is aflifted with fifty guineas 

 annually from the fund ; and the girls' fchool with twenty 

 guineas ; and both are further aided by voluntary contri- 

 butions. Two hundred boys and fixty girls are thus 

 educated ; and the girls are clothed and further quahfied to 

 become valuable fervants. The Lancailer fyftcm is adopted 

 in each fchool ; and both eftabhfliments are accommodated 

 witli convenient fchool-rooms in the upper part of the mar- 

 ket-houfe, which is an extenfive brickcdifice, erefted in 1 789. 

 Beneath it is a fpacious area for pitching corn, and for the 

 refort of the farmers and dealers. Henry de Lacy, earl of 

 Lincoln, obtained, in i 294, the grant of a weekly market 

 on Mondays, and an annual fair on the feaft of St. Michael. 

 The market is now held on 'I'hurfdays, and is one of the 

 moll confiderable marts for corn in this part of the kingdom. 

 A fair is ftill held on Michaelmas day for hiring fervants, 

 &c., and lieie are three other fairs for cattle. The internal 

 police of the town is regulated by two bailiffs, two con- 

 ftables, andfour tytliing-men or iicadboroughs. lii tlie furvey 

 of the year 181 1, the population of Uxbridge was returned 

 as 241 1, occupying 450 houfes. No manufaAures of im- 

 portance are cultivated ; but here are feveral corn-mills on 

 a large fcale, and meal may be faid to form the chief tradinf^ 

 purfuit of the town. Great advantages in trade arife from 

 the market, and from the numero\is feats in the vicinity. 

 This town gives the title of earl to the Paget family. 

 Henry lord Paget was created earl of Uxbridge in 1744 : 

 by the death of his grandfon, the title became extinA in 

 1769; but was revived in 1784, in the perfon of Henry 

 Bailey, a coufin and heir of the deceafed, wiio had ailumed 

 4 I the 



