LEOMINSTER. 
494 
manfion-houfe for the bailiff of the town; but at prefent 
it is the poor-houfe for the borough, and called the houfe 
of induflry. The town-hall, or butter-clofe as it is com¬ 
monly termed, is a Angular building, conflrubted of tim¬ 
ber and plafter about the year 1633. The architect was 
the celebrated John Abel, who burnt the Ihire-hall at Here¬ 
ford in the year 1645. This fabric Hands on twelve 
oak pillars, fuftained on Hone pedeHals; the brackets and 
fpanarils above the arches, and the upper parts of the 
building, difplay much carving. A new gaol was erected 
in year-1750; and a market-houfe in 1803. Queen Mary 
endowed a free-fchool here, the building having been an¬ 
ciently a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Here is 
alio a fchool endowed by Mr. Pierpoint; and four alms- 
hcufes, founded by Mrs. Eflher Clarke, widow, in the year 
1735, for four widows, with an annual income of five 
pounds to each, under the direction of five truHees. The 
husband of thefoundrefs of thefe alms-houfes was remark¬ 
able for giving away the beH part of his effects during his 
life-time; and in a niche over the entrance is his figure, 
holding up a hatchet, with thefe words underneath: 
Let him, that gives his goods before he is dead, 
Take this hatchet and cut off his head. 
Befides flax, Leominfier is equally noted for its wheat, 
barley, cider, and hops. The inhabitants drive a confi- 
derable trade, not only in wool, but in gloves, leather, hat¬ 
making, &c. and there are feveral rivers in and about the 
town, in which they have mills, and other machines. The 
mayor walks with a long black rod, tipped with filver. 
Leorninfler is a borough by prefcription, and returned 
two members from the 23d of the reign of Edward I. but 
the charter was firfi granted by queen Mary. This bo¬ 
rough, during the lifetime of Chafe Price, of convivial 
memory, was entirely under his influence and manage¬ 
ment. After his deceafe, lord Bateman became the pa¬ 
tron and manager of this borough, in which charadier he 
continued until the duke of Norfolk fir It attempted the 
eliablifhment of an interefl. Under his aufpices Richard 
Beckford, efq. was introduced, hut did not fucceed. At 
the election for 1797, the independent interefi called upon 
Hr Henry Tempeit, hart, a gentleman of their own coun¬ 
ty, whole political principles and condudl they approved, 
to Hand forward as their candidate in oppofuion to Mr. 
Taylor, (an entire Hranger, and manager of the opera- 
houfe;) and, though unl'uccefsful in the iflue, the conteH 
deferves notice, as being an early inHance, lately fo well 
imitated in Weflminfier, of a candidate fupported in his 
expenfes by thofe who brought him forward. The 
corporation confiHs of a bailiff, chief Heward, recorder, 
twenty-four capital burgeffes, a chamberlain, and two 
ferjeants at mace. The members are chofen by the 
corporation and inhabitants paying fcot and lot; the 
number of voters being about 500. The duke of Nor¬ 
folk is the patron; the prefent members are—John Lub¬ 
bock, efq. a London banker, and John Harcourt, efq. 
The borough is a diltindt precinct from the county, 
holds quarter-fefiions, and has a gaol and bridewell. A 
court of record is held every Monday, to recover debts, 
&c. not exceeding one hundred pounds, where any two 
of the capital burgeffes or aldermen prefide, with or with¬ 
out the bailiff. The town is divided into fix wards, in 
each of which are two ccnHables. 
On a hill adjoining the town, called Eton-hill, formerly 
Hood a caHle, called Comfort CaHle, belonging to one of 
the Mercian princes.—Hatfield, to the eaH of the town, 
has tw'o fairs, April 23 and October 18.—On the Brierly 
hills, about tw>o miles iouth-weitward from Leominiter, 
is Ivinton camp, a firong fortification, divided into two 
parts by an entrenchment more modern than the outer 
works. This is luppofed, with great probability, to be 
the camp occupied by Owen Glendour. 
On the Ludlow road, about three miles and a half from 
this town, is Berrington Houfe, a Hone building, eredltd 
by tl’.e Hon. Thomas Harley.—Croft CaHle, about five 
miles diflant in a north-weft direction, was formerly the 
feat of the ancient family of the Crofts; it is fituated a 
little below the conflux of the Wadels and the Lug; there 
is a camp and two ditches in it, called the Ambry. This 
was long the family-feat of Thomas Johnes, efq. but the 
eflate was fold in 1799 t0 Mr. Davis, for 40,000b—Shob- 
den Court, eight miles on the Prefleign road, is the feat 
of vifeount Bateman. The hall is remarkably lofty and 
fpacious ; the church has been rebuilt by his lordfhip, 
and has the appearance of an elegant chapel; the marble 
font is a beautiful antique bowl.—Brampton Bryan, twelve 
miles on the Knighton road, is the caHle and feat of the 
earl of Oxford. Great part of the w'alls of the ancient 
caHle are Hill Handing, and the gatehoufe, which is entire, 
is a very curious Hrurture, and conveys lome idea of its 
ancient grandeur. There is a fair for toys, June 22. 
Five miles on the Hereford road is Hampton Court, 
built by king Henry IV. as appears by an old painting 
on wood of that monarch, which is faid to be the only 
original of that king; the inlcription on it runs thus : 
“ Henry IV. king of England, who laid the firfl Hone of 
this houfe, and left this picture in it when he gave it to 
Lenthall, who fold it to Cornwall of Burford, who fold it 
to the anceflors of the lord Coninglby in the reign of 
Henry VI.” This picture is to be leen here. There is 
likewife a room here called king Henry’s room, in which, 
till lately, flood a bed, the hangings of which were faid 
to be thofe belonging to the bed the king flept on, and 
were a very fine Scotch plaid. Above the prefent ceiling 
of the great hall is a wainfeot roof, done in pannels, on 
which are carved rofes and other decorations, which have 
been richly gilt and ornamented; at thelowerend is likewife 
to be feen a coat of arms, painted on the wall, faid to be 
the arms of Henry IV. but much defaced. It afterwards 
became the manfion of the Coninglby family, the firfl of 
w'hom that was created a baron was John, by the title of 
John lord Coninglby, baron of Coninglby in Lincoln- 
flrire. Coninglby CaHle anciently belonged to that fa¬ 
mily, but was confifcated in the baron’s wars; the faid 
John was flain at the battle of Cheflerfield, in the reign 
of king John. A great part of the building was added 
by fir Thomas and lady Philippa Coninglby, as appears by 
the letters T^P in feveral parts of the houfe. There are 
many fine paintings here, among which is one of the lord 
Abergavenny, drawn in the attitude of rifing out of his 
chair, finely coloured. Several are painted by fir Peter 
Lely and Vandyck. There is likewife to be feen here a 
gun, which lord Coninglby had made of fvvord-blades 
taken from the Irilh rebels at the battle of the Boyne, on 
the barrel of which is the following infeription in gold 
letters: 
I in the tower became a gun 
In feventeen hundred twenty-one; 
Earl Coninglby, a pril’oner there, 
Befpoke and took me to his care: 
And fit I am for loyal lords, 
Made of the blades of rebels’ fwords. 
Traitors, beware when I’m enlarg’d. 
When he or I lhall be difeharg’d. 
For this, my firfl and true report. 
Pray life me well at Hampton Court. 
The battle of the Boyne was fought in the year 1690, be¬ 
tween king William III. and king James II. and in a 
fmall cabinet at Hampton Couit is to be feen a handker¬ 
chief, which was applied by the earl of Coninglby to a 
wound which king William received on his right Ihoulder 
from a field-piece, as he was reconnoitring the fituation 
of the enemy the day previous to the battle. In the pa- 
rilh-church of Hope-under-Dinmore, is a fine marble mo¬ 
nument, erected to the late earl Coninglby, whofe re¬ 
mains, with thole of Margaret his countefs, and an in¬ 
fant fon, are depofited in a vault under the chancel; alfo 
the remains of the lady Philippa Coninglby, and others 
<A the family. There was a curious manulcript account 
