WES 



WES 



fimjlar eftablifliment, can more attention be (hewn to facili- 

 tate the refearches, literary or fcientific perfons, of all who 

 refort to the trcafures it contains. 



The population of Weftminfter very fenfibly fluftuates, 

 according to the feafon of the year. From Oftober to 

 July, while the pa-liament is affembled, the courts of law 

 are fitting, and ihe places of amufement are open, the town 

 is fully inhabited. During the other months, even thofe 

 whofe bufincfs is flill tranfafted in town retire to their villas 

 or quarters, in the furrounding villages and country. A 

 hundred years ago, the inhabitants were computed, but 

 furely overrated, at 130,000: by the laft returns to parlia- 

 ment in 181 1, they amounted to 62,085, occupying 17,555 

 houfes. 



The books examined for the foregoing account, and to 

 which the reader is referred for more minute particulars, 

 are. Antiquities of Weftminfter ; the literary part by J. S. 

 Hawkins, efq. ; plates from drawings by J. T. Smith; 

 I vol. 4to. 1807. The Hiftory of Henry VII. 's Chapel, 

 by J. Britton, with plan, views, elevations, &c. ; in vol. ii. 

 of Architeftural Antiquities of Great Britain. The Hif- 

 tory and Antiquities of the Abbey Church of St. Peter at 

 Weftminfter, 410. 1818, &c., by E. W. Brayley ; with 

 numerous plates from drawings by J. P. Neale. The Hif- 

 tory of the Abbey Church of St. Peter's, Weftminfter, 

 its Antiquities, and Monuments ; in 2 vols. 410., with 

 63 engravings ; publifhed by Mr. Ackermann. An Inquiry 

 into the Time of the firft Foundation of Weftminfter 

 Abbey, &c., by R. Widmore, 410. 1743. Alfo, The 

 Hiftory, &c. of the Abbey Church, by the fame author, 

 1 75 1. Weftmonafterium, or the Hiftory and Antiquities 

 of the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Weftminfter, by John 

 Dart; 2 vols. fol. 1723. The general hiftories have been 

 already referred to in the article London. 



Westminster, a town of MalTachufetts, in the county 

 of Worcefter, containing 1419 inhabitants ; ^^ miles N.W. 

 of Bofton. — Alfo, a poft-town of Vermont, in the county 

 of Windham, containing 1925 inhabitants ; iB miles N. of 

 Brattleborough. — Alfo, a town of Maryland, with a poft- 

 office ; 26 miles N.W. of Baltimore. 



WESTMINSTER-Zi^a//, an ifland in the ftraits of Magellan, 

 fituated to the N.E. of Cape Pillar. S. lat. 52° 34'. W. 

 long. 76° 16' — Alfo, an ifland in the Mergui Archipelago. 

 N.lat. 10° 42'. 



WESTMORE, a town of the ftate of Vermont, in 

 Effex county, containing 71 inhabitants; 6^ miles N. of 

 Norwich. 



WESTMORELAND, Westmorland, or Wejlmere- 

 land, a northern county of England, furrounded by parts of 

 Durham and Yorkftiire to the N., N.E., and E. ; by Lan- 

 caftiire to the S. and to the S.W. ; and by Cumberland on 

 the W. and N.W. The greater part of the boundary line 

 is artificial ; but at the S. and S.W., rivers and lakes con- 

 ftitute natural lines of demarcation. This diftrift is fup- 

 pofed to have derived its name from being a weftern moorifti 

 country ; perhaps it was the land of the moors or lakes in 

 the wefl. It formed a part of the territory of the Brigantes 

 in that diftrift occupied, according to Richard of Ciren- 

 cefter, by the Voluntli and the Siftuntli. The Brigantes 

 were the principal inhabitants of the Roman province 

 Maxima Cxfarienfis ; and during the heptarchy were in- 

 cluded in the extenfive kingdom of Northumberland. In 

 the time of Edward the Confeflbr, this kingdom was divided 

 into fix (hires, of which one was called " Appulb'ifchtre, to 

 which belonged the land of Weftmoreland." In this divi- 

 fion, however, Kendal and its diftrift were not included ; for 

 II 



long after the Norman Conqueft:, they were reckoned to be- 

 long to the hundred of Lonfdale, in Lanca{hire. Of the 

 Roman eftabliihments in Weftmoreland, many noticeable vef- 

 tiges are to be found in ftalions, forts, roads, infcriptions, 

 and other remains. Among the ftations, or towns, may be 

 mentioned Amboglana, a name fuppofed to be (lill preferved 

 in Amblefide, at the N. end of Windermere ; but Horfley 

 places DlSis at that town. At any rate, bricks, urns, 

 coins, and other relics, fufficiently prove it to have been OC' 

 cupied by the Romans. VerUrts, another Roman ftationj 

 was fituated where now ilands Brough-under-Stanmore, 

 name announcing an ancient fortification. Ahallaba feeme( 

 naturally to have given rife to the modern name of Appleby 

 but no Roman remains have ever been found at that place, 

 although it be undoubtedly of confiderable antiquity. Go- 

 lacum is by Camden placed at Whellep ; but by later writers 

 near Appleby. Bro-vacum is probably Brougham caftle, 

 near Penrith. This ftation has often been confounded with 

 Brovonaca, of which remains exift in Kirkbythore. This 

 ftation Whellep or Whelp caftle lies in the middle of the 

 village, and is commonly called High Burwens. It occu- 

 pies an advantageous pofition ; the extent from weft to ead 

 is about 1 60 yards. The foundations of the vallum are very 

 plain. Among the infcriptions found in it is one Fortunte 

 Sfr-uatr'icie. A branch of the great Roman road, called the 

 Watling-ftreet, paiTed through the county from Stanemore 

 to Brougham caftle ; and until the modern turnpike-road was 

 made, the former was very confpicuous almoft all the way. 

 Between Brough and Kirkby, parts of it are ftill to be ob- 

 ferved ; keeping, as was the praftice of the Romans, a 

 ftraight courfe, regardlefs of difficulties. This road mea- 

 fured about fix yards in width, and is defcribed to have been 

 formed, in many places, by three courfes of large fquare 

 ftones. Near the northern border of the county, and not 

 far from Kirkbythore, is a large encampment, attributed to 

 the Romans, and meafuring about 300 yards in length, by 

 150 in breadth. It is reprefentcd as having twelve en- 

 trances, with baftions to each ; but this is improbable. 

 Some topographers defcribe a few of the antiquities of the 

 county as of Celtic, or Druidical origin ; particularly " a fort 

 of Druidical place of worftiip near Shap." Maybrough 

 caftle, and Arthur's Round Table, near Penrith, are re- 

 ferred to the Britifli era. There are alfo feveral cairns, or 

 heaps of loofe ftones, in the county. At Kirkbythore, a 

 Roman road, called the Maiden-way, branched off^, and 

 paifing over the lower end of Crofs-fell, terminated at Caer- 

 vorran, in Northumberland. Roman infcriptions have been 

 found in various parts of the county. One in particular was 

 difcovered at Kirkbythore, infcribed Deo Belatucadro, a local 

 divinity probably of the original Britons. In 1739, at the 

 fame place, was found a ftone infcribed Jo-vl Serapt. In the 

 manor of Milbourne was found an altar to SUvanus, within 

 a round fort furrounded by deep ditches, called Green-caftle. 

 This county is divided into the two baronies of Kendal and 

 Weftmoreland, the latter of which is occaConally called the 

 barony of Appleby ; and thefe again fubdivided into the 

 four wards of Eaft, Weft, Kendal, and Kirkby Lonfdale. 

 In ancient times, the Kendal barony was deemed part of the 

 county of Lancafter. In the Domefday furvey, an account 

 is taken of fome places in the barony of Kendal, with fome 

 neighbouring property in Lancaftiire and Yorkfhire ; but 

 the Weftmoreland diftrift is unnoticed in that record, and 

 thence fuppofed to have been uninhabited and wafte at the 

 time of the Conqueft. The Kendal barony is in the diocefe 

 of Chefter, and confifts of two rural deanries ; whereas the 

 other barony is within the diocefe of Carlille, and confifts of 



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