L E W 
LEW 
of Lewifham, for the herbage of the ground on which the 
fchool (lands, is to be examined and approved by the fame 
perfons as the head-matter, and alfo by the head-matter 
llinifelf, after which, being prefented to the wardens of 
the Leatherfellers’ Company, he is to be admitted by 
them; he mutt be a iingle perfon, and continue unmar¬ 
ried ; his (alary is fixed at zol. per annum. Mr. Lyfons 
(ays, there is no uftier now of the defcription mentioned 
in the founder’s will-; an affittant who teaches writing has 
iol. per annum and a houfe : a writing-matter is alfo ap¬ 
pointed, with a (alary of nl. per annum. Mr. Colfe gave 
various regulations refpedting the internal government of 
the fgjjiool ; the rewards, punilhments, and recreations, of 
the. fcnolars ; which latter are prefcribed to be (hooting in 
long bows, ttool-ball, running, wreftling, leaping, and 
other inoftenfive exercifes; but money-plays not to be 
(uffered. They are ftriclly forbidden to wear long, curled, 
frizzled, or powdered, or ruffin-like, hair ; but enjoined, 
on the contrary, “ to cut their hair, and wear it in fuch 
a fort and manner that both the beauty of their foreheads 
m3y be fecn, and that their hair (hall not grow longer 
than above one inch below the lowed tips of their ears.” 
Public deputations and trials of (kill are appointed to be 
held once a-year, when prizes are given to the three belt 
fcholars, and the belt writers. A fcholar from the gram- 
mar-fchool (having been examined and chofen by one of 
the chief fchoolmafters in London, and the ministers of 
Lewifham, Lee, Greenwich, Deptford, and Chiflehurtt) 
is ordered to be lent every year to one of the univerfities, 
Oxford or Cambridge, and to have an exhibition of iol. 
per annum during (even years; thefe exhibitioners are to 
be children of perfons not reputed to be worth 500I. na¬ 
tives of Lewifham to be preferred ; they are to promife to 
take upon them the function of the miniftry, and that 
before the end of ten years they will preach one or two 
fermons in Lewifliam church; that they will fet forth 
fome fermons alfo in print, and do their endeavours to 
write fome learned commentaries upon the Scriptures. 
There have not been any exhibitions for many years, though for 
what caufe, or how the money is now applied , does not appear. 
Provilion is made in cafe, at any time, a fcholar fit for the 
nniverfity (hould not be found in the lchool at Black- 
heath, that an exhibitioner (hall be chofen from among 
the children of perfons belonging to the Leatherfellers’ 
Company; if there be none qualified, then from the free- 
fchool within the precinfts of Chrift-church, Canterbury, 
or, in failure of a fit fcholar there, from Chritt’s Hofpital, 
London. The fum of 13s. 4-d. is allowed for an anniver- 
fary fermon at Lewifliam or Greenwich, in Whitfun- 
week, being the time when the fchool was opened ; 20s. 
for the annual eleftion-dinner; and the like fum fora 
dinner at the election of a fchool-mafter. The great room 
over the fchool is appropriated by the founder for a lir 
brary, to which he bequeathed all his books, in folio, 
quarto, and thick oftavo; he allowed one pound per 
annum for the augmentation of it; 5s. to the uflier as li¬ 
brarian; and 7s. to buy chains. He enjoins the exhibi¬ 
tors to prefent a copy of all books which they (hall pub- 
lifli, and bequeath fome other fmall fund for its increafe. 
Mr. Colfe alfo founded an Englilh fchool at Lewifham, 
for thirty-one boys, who are to be taught reading, writing, 
pfalm-finging, and the accidence. They are forbidden to 
wear long ruffin-like hair on the head or forehead, neck 
or cheeks, above an inch below the loweft tips of the 
ears. The matter, whole falary is fixed at 2.0I. is to be 
chofen by the Leatherfellers’ Company. The founder 
bequeathed 5I. per annum for the purchafe of bibles and 
other books neceifary for the ufe of the lchool ; and 6s. 
for mending the bibles, (rather repairing their bindings ;) 
he alfo bequeathed 5I. per annum towards apprenticing 
the boys; and afterwards allotted the fum of 440I. to be 
laid out in the purchale of 24I. yearly rent, for the pur¬ 
pofe or apprenticing fix fcholars annually from this fchool. 
This purchafe was not made, and only 3/. a-y.car is now paid 
Jot tfus purpofe. 
563 
Mr. Colfe alfo directed by his will that a certain fum 
(hould be laid out. in the building five alms-houfes, (the 
chapel having been converted into a dweiling-houfe, there 
are now fix penfioners,) to be begun in April 1662, “ for 
poor godly houfeholders of this parifh, fixty years of age 
or upwards, and able to fay the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, 
and Ten Commandments.” The allowance fixed for the 
penfioners is is. gd. per week, and 18s. for a gown once 
in two years. Thefe alms-houfes are on the well; fide of 
the village of Lewifliam, to the Couth of the church ; and 
over the door are the arms of the founder. The fame 
gentleman was in other refpebts a confiderable benefactor 
to this parifh ; and gave 5I. to the parilh as a flock to 
keep poor children to knitting. This has been long difufed. 
Between this place and Dulwich, but in Lewifliam pa- 
rirti, is a hill with an oak upon it, called the Oak of Ho¬ 
nour, becaufe queen Elizabeth is reported to have once 
dined under it. Indeed the original tree, which (hould 
have perpetuated the remembrance of its having ferved 
for a canopy to that illuftrious princefs, has long fince 
perilhed ; but, it is faid, care has been always taken to 
plant an oak near the fpot, on which this traditional anec r 
dote might be conftantly ingrafted. The river Ravenf- 
bourn directs its courfe through this parifh ; at the ham¬ 
let of Southend it moves the engines by which the late 
Mr. How made thofe knife-blades, fo famous throughout 
England. 
Sydenham is a confiderable hamlet to Lewifliam, fituated 
on the declivity of a fine hill, on the borders of the county 
of Surry, and about eight miles from London. This 
place is celebrated for its mineral fprings difcovered in 
1640. They are of a mild cathartic quality, and nearly 
refemble thofe of Epfom. Between Lewifham and Brock- 
ley is a well of the fame quality as thofe at Tunbridge, 
where a woman attends to ferve the water, which is deli¬ 
vered gratis to the inhabitants of the parifh. This fpring 
is the property of the earl of Dartmouth. A fpacious 
common, taking its name from the hamlet, adjoins to 
Sydenham, from the upper part of which there is a very 
extenfive and beautiful proipeCt; and its delightful fce- 
nery has lately been rendered more attractive, by the 
Croydon Canal winding its courfe in the vale beneath. 
Its beauties are foon to be ditturbed by enclofure, an a£fc 
of parliament having palled for that purpofe. 
In 1682, lord Dartmouth obtained a grant of a market 
to be held twice a-vveek on that part of Blackheath 
within this parilh, and two annual fairs, each to laft three 
days; but the market has been difcontinued for fome 
years, and the fairs are only held one day each, viz. on 
the 12th of May, and the nth of October. 
The hills lurrounding the village of Lewifliam com¬ 
mand the rnott delightful profpefts. That from Vicar’s 
hill is peculiarly interefting and extenfive, and is varied 
with almolt every objeC't that can infpire the mind with 
pleafure. On the left it is bounded by the junction of 
the Kent and Surry hills, and on the right by Shooter’s 
hill. In front is Blackheath, with its numerous villas ; 
over which are feen Woolwich and Charlton, Greenwich- 
park, with the Obfervatory and Hofpital. To the (eft 
appear Deptford and its Royal Dock-yard ; and, beyond 
thefe, the metropolis, and diftant hills of Middlefex and 
Elfex, while numerous openings permit the view of the 
Thames, fraught with the riches of the globe ; importing 
tlie luxuries of the Eaft and Weft, and bearing away to 
diftant worlds the marks of Britilh ingenuity and Britifti 
opulence. See Deptford, vqj. v. p. 738. and Green¬ 
wich, vol. ix. d. 6-9. 
LEWSON-HILL', Dorfet, fouth-weft of Beminfter, 
with Pilldon-hill, (urmount all the hills between them 
and the fea ; and by mariners are called the Cow and Calf, 
as land-marks to thofe who fail on the coait. 
LEW'STON, Dorfet, a hamlet that claims to be extra- 
parochial, fituated a mile fouth-weft from Long-Burton, 
whofe church was anciently a chapel of eafe to Sherborne. 
LEWUNAK' BAN'NEK, a town in North America, 
on 
