W I L 



W I L 



tend, that Wincheftcr was the chief town of that mo- 

 narchy. It is not improbable that both places were at 

 different periods pofleffed and occupied by the Weil-Saxon 

 kings. 



Antecedent to the Norman Conqueft, Wilton was cer- 

 tainly a place of diftinguiihed confequence. It contained 

 feveral religious eftablilhments ; and was the principal town 

 of the county, as appears from its having given name to the 

 (hire. Leland itates, that it pofleffed twelve parifii-churches 

 at the period of Henry III. ; a ftatement, if fully authenti- 

 cated, would afford decided proof both of its great extent 

 and population. The Weft-Saxon monarchs moft pro- 

 bably had a palace here, and conferred on this place many 

 marks of their royal favour. During their dynafty, Wilton 

 was a royal borough, and appears to have been the fcene of 

 feveral important hiftorical events. In 823, Egbert gave 

 battle to and defeated the Mercian army near this town, 

 which army was commanded by their king, Beornwulf. 

 Several other engagements between the Saxons and Danes 

 took place at and near Wilton. One of thefe occurred in 

 871, when the valiant Alfred commanded the Saxon army 

 againft a vait horde of the Danifli marauders, who having 

 plundered and laid watte feveral other places, were checked 

 in their fanguinary career near this town, and after a defpe- 

 rate battle were compelled to petition for mercy and peace. 

 Again in 1003, Wilton was vifited by the Danes, when part 

 of the town was confumed. During the civil warfare be- 

 tween king Stephen and the emprefs Maud, this place was 

 the fcene of much flaughter. 



Wilton continued for many centuries after the Conqueft 

 celebrated for its monaftic inftitutions, and particularly for 

 its abbey. This was inftituted in 773 by Wulftan, earl of 

 Wiltfhire, who, having defeated Ethelmund, king of the 

 Mercians, repaired " a certain old church of St. Mary, at 

 Wilton, which had been deftroyed by the Danes, and 

 placed in it a college of fecular priefts." After the Conqueft, 

 king William and feveral of his fucceffors added greatly to 

 the opulence of this abbey, which was diffolved in the thirty- 

 fifth year of Henry VIII. The other monaftic inftitutions 

 in this town were, a houfe of black friars, an hofpital de- 

 dicated to St. Mary Magdalen, a collegiate church, and an 

 hofpital dedicated to St. John. 



Wilton, though much decayed, ftill retains many of its 

 ancient privileges. It is a borough both by prefcription 

 and by charter, and is governed by a corporation of its 

 own, confifting of a mayor, recorder, five aldermen, three 

 capital burgeffes, and eleven common-councilmen, with a 

 town-clerk, and other ofBcers, as fixed by the laft charter 

 granted in the i-eign of Henry VIII. The town fends two 

 members to parliament, and has regularly done fo fince the 

 twenty-third year of Edward I. In 17 10, it was agreed 

 that the eleftive franchife was vefted " in the mayor and 

 burgeffes, who are to do all corporate afts and receive the 

 facrament." The number of voters is ftated at twenty- 

 four in the Hiftory of Boroughs, where it is alfo obferved, 

 that " the rfeftion of any perfon to be a burgefs of Wilton, 

 who has not taken the facramertt of the Lord's fupper, ac- 

 cording to the rites of the church of England, within one 

 year before fuch eleftion, is avoid eleftion." The mayor is 

 the returning officer ; and the patron of the borough is the 

 carl of Pembroke, whofe feat is in the vicinity of the town. 



The county courts of juftice are fometimes held here ; as 

 are likewife the eleftions for the county members. The 

 precife fpot where the eleftors meet to choofe their repre- 

 fentatives, is marked by a large ftone in the Warren, at a 

 fhort diftance fouth of the town. The market-days here 



were formerly Wednefday and Friday in every week ; but 

 a fmall one on the former day is now only continued. The 

 fairs are held on the 4th of May and the 12th of Sep- 

 tember. 



The principal public buildings in this town are the 

 parifli-church and the town-hall. The other buildings 

 here appropriated to public purpofes are two chapels, 

 one belonging to the Methodifts, and another to the Inde- 

 pendents, a free-fchool, and eight alms-houfes. Wilton, 

 including the borough and parifh, contains, according to 

 the parliamentary returns of 181 1, 393 houfes, and a popu- 

 lation of 1 963 perfons. It was formerly celebrated for its 

 carpet manufaftories, which gave employment to a large 

 proportion of its inhabitants. The firft carpet made in 

 England was manufactured at Wilton. Fancy woollens 

 and flannels are now the only articles of manufafture. At 

 the eaftern end of the town is, 



Wilton-houfe, feated in a fine park. This edifice is 

 a large, extenfive pile, erefted at different periods, and 

 difplays different ftyles of architefture. It was formerly 

 an abbey, but the alteration of Mr. James Wyatt has de- 

 ftroyed every monaftic part of the building. This archi- 

 tedl (now no more) was employed by the prefent noble 

 proprietor, to enlarge the manfion and adapt it for the better 

 difplay of its rich ftores of ancient fculpture and paintings. 

 A principal feature in this alteration is the formation of a 

 glazed cloifter, round a central court, which contains nearly 

 the whole colledlion of ftatues, butts, baffo-relievos, &c. 

 Another confiderable novelty is a large court-yard on the 

 north, furrounded by offices, a lodge, and a new fide to the 

 houfe. The approach is through a triumphal arch, which 

 is furmounted by a bold equeftrian ftatue of Marcus Aure- 

 lius. A veftibule leads to the cloifter, both of which are 

 filled with ancient marbles. 



The coUeftion of works of art at Wilton-houfe has long 

 been highly celebrated, and different publications have been 

 given to the world, with catalogues and accounts of the 

 various fubjefts. Thefe are, the " ^des Pembrochianje," by 

 Mr. Richardfon, i2mo. 1774; an eleventh edition of which 

 was publittied in 1788. Gambarini of Lucca publiftied 

 a " Defcription of the Earl of Pembroke's Piftures," 

 in 1 73 1. Kennedy alfo produced a " New Defcription of 

 the Piftures, &c." in 1764. Another volume in 4to., with 

 feveral engravings of the fculpture, was publiftied in 1786. 

 Wilton-houfe was formerly exhibited to ftrangers, but the 

 prefent nobleman has ftiut it up. Several perfons of the 

 Pembroke family have been particularly diftinguiftied in the 

 annals of the country ; particularly in Clarendon's hiftory. 

 Philip Maffinger, an eminent dramatic poet, was probably 

 born at Wilton-houfe, as his father lived in the fervice of 

 the earl of Pembroke. See Giffard's Life and Works of 

 Maffinger. 



About a mile eaft of Wilton is Bemerton, the living of 

 which is poffeffed by the Rev. William Coxe, author of 

 feveral valuable works of Hiftory, Travels, and Topo- 

 graphy. It is rather fingular that the reftory of Bemer- 

 ton has been enjoyed by feveral eminent literary charafters, 

 among whom we find the names of Walter Curie, bifhop 

 of Winchefter, &c. George Herbert, ( commonly called the 

 divine Herbert,) and John Norris. — Beauties of England, 

 Wiltfliire, 8vo. 1814; by John Britton, F.S.A. 



Wilton, a town of the diftrift of Maine, in the county 

 of Kennebeck, containing 770 inhabitants ; 60 miles N.N.E. 

 of Portland.— Alfo, a town of New Hampftiire, in Hillf- 

 borough county, with 1017 inhabitants; 30 miles E. of 

 Chefterfield. — Alfo, a town of Connefticut, in the coimty 

 3 N 2 of 



