C H A 
C H A 
which it is a fuburb. The doclc was begun by queen 
Elizabeth, and has been lo improved by her fucceflbrs, 
particularly Charles II. that there is not a more complete 
arfenal in the world. That excellent fund for 'the relief 
of wounded feamen, called the cheft at Chatham, was in- 
Hi tu ted in i jS3, after the dcfe.at of the Spnnilh armada, 
when queen Elizabeth, by advice of Sir Francis Drake, 
Sir John Hawkins, and others, affigned a portion- of 
every teaman’s pay to the relief o'f feamen who havq been 
wounded or difabled in the navy. Here is alfo an hof- 
pital, founded by Sir John Hawkins, for poor decayed 
mariners and fliipwrights; the building appropriated for 
their reception was finilhed, as appears from an inferip- 
tion in the wall, in the year 155a. Queen Elizabeth, 
at the requeft of the founder, granted a charter of incor¬ 
poration by the name of ‘“•the governors of the hofpital 
of Sir John Hawkins, Knt.at Chatham.” No perfon is eli¬ 
gible who has not been maimed or difabled in the fervice 
of the navy, or otherwife brought to poverty. It is remar¬ 
kable that captain Hawkins, the founder of this cha¬ 
rity, is mentioned as the firft Englifhman who ever en¬ 
gaged in the African (lave trade. By queen Elizabeth’s 
charter of incorporation, the community is always to 
confift of twenty-fix governors, of which number only 
four were to be elective, and the others by virtue of their 
refpeftive offices. Thefe are, the archbifhop of Canter¬ 
bury, tire bilhop of Rochefter, the lord high admiral, 
the lord warden of the Cinque Ports, the dean of Ro¬ 
chefter, the treasurer, comptroller, furveyor, and clerk 
of the afls, of the navy, fix principal mafters of mariners, 
two principal fhipwrights, the mailer and wardens of 
the Trinity-houfe, for the time being, and their fuccef- 
fors. This, hofpital has been lately rebuilt, in a light, 
airy, and handfome, manner. In 1667, the Dutch fleet 
took and difmantled Sheernefs, and, failing up the Med¬ 
way, burnt three guard-fhips, and attacked Upnor Caftle, 
which defends the arfenal; but they were repulfed, and 
in their return burned and damaged three men of war. 
The dock-yard, including the ordnance-wharf, is a- 
bout a mile in length ; and the commiffion.er, and other 
principal officers, have elegant houles to refide in. Here 
are many fpacious llorehoufes, one of which is 660 feet 
in length. The fail-loft is 209 feet long. Though an 
immenfe quantity of fiores of all kinds are depolited in 
thefe magazines, yet they are arranged in fo regular a 
manner, that, on any emergency, whatever is wanted 
may be procured with the greateft difpatch, and without 
the leaft confufion. In the anchor-fmith’s forge are 
twenty-one fires conftantly employed ; and here are made 
the anchors, lome of which weigh near five tons. The 
new rope-houfe is 1140 feet in length, in which cables 
are made 120 fathoms long, and twenty-two inches 
round. Chatham church is fituated on an eminence ad¬ 
joining to the office of ordnance. It was deftroyed by 
fire about the middle of the fourteenth century; and, in 
order to enable the inhabitants to rebuild it, the pope, 
by a bull dated 1352, granted to all who fhould contri¬ 
bute their affiftance to fo pious a work, a relaxation from 
penances for one year and forty days. In 1635, the com- 
miffioner of his majefty’s navy repaired the church, le- 
built and enlarged the well end, and erefled the lleepie. 
In 1707, the gallery over the foutli able was built by com- 
miffioner St. Loo, of Chatham-yard, for the ufe of the 
navy and ordinary. But, notwithftanding thefe en¬ 
largements, the church was Hill too fmall; and in 1788, 
it _ was pulled down, except the lleepie part, and rebuilt 
with brick on extended climenfions ; the galleries are fpa¬ 
cious and uniform, and the light happily dilpofed 
throughout the fabric, which is now capable of holding 
the parilhioners without -inconvenience. Chatham has 
two annual fairs, viz. May 15 and September 19. The 
market is on Saturdays. Diftant from Canterbury twen¬ 
ty-five miles, and thirty eaft from London. 
CHA' PHAM, a maritime town of United America, 
in Barnitaple county, Maffachufetts, fituated on the ex¬ 
terior extremity of the elbow of Cape Cod, convenient 
127 
for the filhery; in which they have ufually about forty 
veil els employed. It has 1140 inhabitants, and lies nine¬ 
ty-five miles fouth-eaft of Bofton. 
CHATHAM, a townfhip in Grafton county, New- 
Hamplhire. It was incorporated in 1767. 
CHA'THAM, a fiourifiling townfiiip in Middlefex 
county, Connedlicut, on the eaftern bank of Connecti¬ 
cut river, and oppofite Middleton city, It was apart of' 
the townfiiip of Middleton till 1767. 
CHA'THAM, a townfiiip in Eflex county, New Jer- 
fey, fituated on Paflaic l i ver: thirteen miles weft of Eli¬ 
zabeth town, and nearly the fame from Newark. 
CHATHAM, a townfiiip of Columbia county, New- 
York. By the ftate cenfus of 1796, 380 of its inhabitants 
were eleftors. 
CHA'THAM, a county of the American States, in 
Hilllborough diftrift. North Carolina, about the centre 
of the ftate. It contains 9221 inhabitants; chief town, 
Pittfburg. The court-houfe is a few miles weft of Ra¬ 
leigh, on a branch of Cape Fear river. 
CHA'THAM, a town of South Carolina, in Cheraws 
diftriCl, fituated in Chefterfield county, on the weft fide 
of Great Pedee river. Its fituation, in a highly-cultiva¬ 
ted and rich country, and at the head of a navigable river, 
bids fair to render it a place of great importance. 
CHA'THAM, a county of the American States, in 
the lower diftridft of Georgia, in the north-eaft corner of 
the ftate, having the Atlantic ocean eaft, and Savannah 
river north-eaft. It'contains 10,769 inhabitants. The 
chief town is Savannah, the former capital of the ftate. 
CHA'THAM, or Pnnjo bay, a large bay on the weft 
fide of the foutli end of the promontory of Eaft Florida. 
It receives North and Delaware rivers. 
CHA'THAM, an ifland of United America, on the 
fouth-eaft coaft of the llate of Maflachufetts. Lat. 41, 
39. N. Ion. 69. 56. W. Greenwich. 
CHA' TH AM-HOUSE, in the territory of theHudfqn’s' 
bay company. Lat. 55. 23.40. N. Ion. 98. W. Greenwich. 
CHATILLON', a town of France, in the department 
of Paris, and chief place of a canton, in the diltriiSt of 
Bourg la Reine: one league and a half fouth-lbuth-weft 
of Paris. 
CHATILLON', a town of France, in the department 
of the Drome, and chief place of a canton, in the dill rift ; 
of Die : three leagues and a half north-well of Lyons- 
CHATILLON', a town of Savoy, in the Genevois: 
three miles fouth-fouth-eaft of St. Juiien. 
CHATILLON ', a town of Piedmont, in the duchy of 
Aofta, on theDoria Baltea: nine miles fouth-eaft of Aofta. 
CHATILLON' ex BAROl'S, a town of France, in. 
the department of the Nyevre, and chief place of a can¬ 
ton, in the diftrift of Moulins-en-Gilbert: eight miles 
north-weft of Mouiins. 
CHATILLON' sous le COTES, a town of France, in 
the department of the Meule, and chief place of a can¬ 
ton, in the diitriri of Verdunfix miles eaft of Verdun. 
CHATILLON' suit COURTl'NE, a town of France, 
in the department of Jura, and. chief place of a canton, 
in the dillrift of Lons-le-Saunier: two leagues and a half 
eaft of Lons-le-Saunier. 
CHATILLON' les DOM'BES, a town of France, and 
principal place of a diltridl, in the department of the 
Ain: four leagues l’outh-weft of Bourg-en-Brefle. Lat. 
46. 7. N. Ion. 22. 37. E. Ferro. 
CHATILLON' sur IN'DRE, a town of France, and 
principal place of a dillriS, in the department of the In- 
dre: twenty-three miles north-welt of Chateauroux, 
and eleven iouth-fouth-eaft ofLoches. 
CHATILLON' suit LOING, a town of France, in 
the department of the Loiret, and chief place ot a can¬ 
ton,. in the diUriel of Montargis, containing about 1700 
inhabitants: four leagues fouth of Montargis. 
CHATILLON sur LOIRE, a town of France, in the 
department of the Loiret, and chief place of a canton, 
in the diltrift of Gieii : three leagues fouth-eaft: of Gien. 
CHATILLON' SUR MARNE, a town of France, in 
the • 
