WIG 



bii(hment, fubordinate to the mother church. Three of 

 thefe townfhips, Haigh, Afpinall, and Hindley, are wortliy 

 of notice for the produftion of the fineft cannel or candle 

 coal, which is found in large blocks as black as jet, and will 

 bear a beautiful polifli. ( See Coal, Cannel. ) The Liver- 

 pool and Leeds canal, and the river Douglas, afford navi- 

 gable communication between this town and feveral other 

 towns. On an eminence in this town(hip, about a mile 

 north of Wigan, is Haigh-hall, the ancient feat of the 

 Bradfhaighs, a family of high antiquity and diftinftion, but 

 now extinift ; from whom it defcended by marriage to the 

 earl of Balcarras, who now relides here. This venerable 

 manfion was built at different periods ; the chapel is fup- 

 pofed to be coeval with the reign of Edward IL In the 

 vicinity of Wigan originally flood the ancient family man- 

 fion of the Marklands. 



Four miles well of Wigan is the village of Holland, or 

 Up-Holland, whence the illuftrious but ill-fated family of 

 Holland derived their name. 



About three miles north of Wigan is the village of 

 Blackrode, at which place the Rev. John Whitaker fixes 

 the Roman ftation, named Coccium. Mr. Percival and 

 Mr. Watfon both agree with Mr. Whitaker in placing 

 Coccium here ; but thefe opinions are fatisfaftorily refuted 

 by the hiftorian of Whalley, who contends that this ancient 

 flation was at Ribchefler — Beauties of England and Wales, 

 vol. ix. Lancafhire, by J. Britton, F.S.A. 



WIGEON Penelope, Anas Penelope of Linna:us, in 

 Ornithology, is a well-known bird. (SeeDuCK. ) Its bill 

 is lead-coloured, and the end of it black ; the head, and 

 upper part of the neck, of a bright light bay ; the fore- 

 head paler, in fome almoll white ; the plumage of the back, 

 and (ides under the wings, are elegantly marked with narrow 

 black and white undulated lines ; the brealf is of a purplifh 

 hue, fometimes, thoiigh rarely, marked with round black 

 fpots ; the belly white ; and the vent-feathers black. In 

 fome birds the coverts of the wings are almofl wholly white ; 

 in others of a pale brown, edged with white ; the greater 

 quiU-feathers are duflcy ; the outmoil webs of the middle 

 feathers of a fine green, the tips black ; the laft are ele- 

 gantly ftriped with black and white ; the two middle fea- 

 thers of the tail are longer than the others, black, and fharp 

 pointed ; the refl afh-coloured ; the legs dufky. 



The head of the female is of a rufly brown, fpotted with 

 black ; the back is of a deep brown, edged with a paler; 

 the tips of the leffer quill-feathers white ; the belly white, 

 Pennant. 



WIGGER, in Geography, a river of Switzerland, which 

 runs into the Aar, 3 miles N.W. of Zoffingcn. 

 WIGHT, Isle of. See Isle of IVight. 

 Wight, IJle of, a county of Virginia, on the right fide 

 of James river, about 40 miles long and 1 5 broad, watered 

 by the Nanfemond. It contains 9186 inhabitants, includ- 

 ing 4041 flaves. 



WIGLEN, a fmall ifland in the North fea, near the 

 coaft of Norway. N. lat. 65°. 



WIGSTADT, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of 

 Konigingratz ; 6 miles N.E. of Geyerfberg. 



WIGSTADTEL, or Wakow, a town of Silefia, in 

 the principality of Troppau ; 10 miles S. of Troppau. N. 

 lat. 49° 38'. E. long. 17° 47'. 



WIGTON, a town of Cumberland, England, ftands in 

 a fine dry open country ; and within the lafl thirty years has 

 been greatly increafed in population, from the introduftion 

 of manufaftures. In the year 1811 its inhabitants amounted 

 to 2977, who occupied 643 houfes. 



WIG 



The firft manufaftories eflablifhed here were for different 

 kinds of coarfe linens ; but fince the year 1785, this bufi- 

 nefs has received a confiderable check by the encouragement 

 given to the various branches of the cotton trade, which 

 flourifh in great vigour. In 1790 a manufaftory for print- 

 ing cahcoes was eltablifhed at Spittle, about a quarter of a 

 mile from the town, and feeins likely to become an im- 

 portant undertaking, as the goods are in high repute, and 

 the fituation extremely convenient for extending the works. 

 The prefent church was erefted in 1788 : its neatnefs is 

 eminently contrafled with the ancient fabric, which was a 

 dark gloomy flrufture, built, according to the Chronicon 

 Cumbriac, by Odoard de Logiz, to whom the barony was 

 given by Waldeof, fon of earl Gofpatrick. The materials 

 it was conftrufted with were procured from the Roman fla- 

 tion at Old Carlifle, as appears from the flones being marked 

 in a fimilar manner to thole that may yet be obtained there. 

 In removing the foundations of the old tower, two Roman 

 fepulchral iiifcriptions were difcovered. The ftreets are to- 

 lerably fpacious, and many of the buildings are handfome 

 and modern. In the year 1723, an hofpital was founded 

 here, under the will of the Rev. John Thomlinfon, A.M. 

 for fix indigent widows of Proteflant beneficed clergymen, 

 epifcopally ordained ; and incorporated by the name of 

 " The Governefs and Sifters of the College of Matrons, or 

 Hofpital of Chrift in Wigton." The endowment has been 

 augmented by fome fmall benefadlions : the allowance to 

 each widow is about eight pounds annually. A free-fchool 

 was alfo eftablilhed here in 1780; chiefly by the contribu- 

 tions of the inhabitants, aided by the benevolence of Dr. 

 Thomhnfoii's brother. In this town, obfcrves Mr. Gough, 

 was anciently an hofpital or free chapel, dedicated to St. 

 Leonard, to which, Mr. Pegge is of opinion, belongs a feal 

 found in Pickering-caftle, Yorkfhire : it is of wood, and 

 has the reprefentation of the Deity, with the crucifix, cir- 

 cumfcribed Sigillvm Wighton. 



About one mile fouth from Wigton are the ruins of the 

 confiderable Roman flation, now called Old Carhfle, but 

 generally fuppofed to have been the Olenacum of the Noti- 

 tia, where the Ala Herculea were in garrifon. Velliges of 

 ancient buildings are very confpicuous ; the foundations of 

 numerous ruined edifices being fcattered over many acres, 

 as well within the vallum as on every fide, without excepting 

 to the weftward, where the ground defcends precipitoufly 

 to the brook Wifa. The ftation itfelf occupied an elevated 

 fcite, and commanded an extenfive view north and north-wefl. 

 Its form is an oblong fquare 170 paces in length and IIO 

 broad, with obtufe angles, defended by a double ditch and 

 vallum, and having an entrance near the middle of each 

 fide. The military way, on which it ilands, is very broad 

 and diftinft, and leads immediately to Carlifle and the Wall. 

 Within the vallum, a well was difcovered a few years ago, 

 about three feet in diameter, and regularly lined with ftones. 

 Various iiifcriptions, facrificing inllruments, coins, altars, 

 fmall images, ilatues on horfcback, urns, and other veftiges 

 of antiquity, have been found at this flation. 



Several antiquities, difcovered near this place in the 

 courfe of the lail century, have been defcribed in different 

 volumes of the Gentleman's Magazine, particularly in thofe 

 for the years 1748, 1756, and 1757. 



Clea-hall, a feat of fir Henry Fletcher, bart., whofe fa- 

 mily obtained it by an intermarriage with the female heir of 

 a branch of the Mufgraves, ftands on a cultivated fpot in 

 the midft of an elevated and dreary moor. — Beauties of Eng- 

 land and Wales, vol. iv. Cumberland, by J. Britton and 

 E.W. Brayley. 



3 I 2 WIGTOWN, 



