MARGATE. 
S58 
Me of Thanet, Sixteen miles difiant from Canterbury, 
and Seventy-two north-eaft of London. Though now 
one of the moft fafhionable and belt frequented watering- 
places in the kingdom, it has only obtained its principal 
celebrity within the In(l fifty years ; before which it was 
a fmall fifiiing-town, irregularly built, and the houfes ge¬ 
nerally old and low. Its antiquity, however, is much 
more confiderable ; it has been a member of the port and 
town of Dover from a remote period. In Leland’s time 
there was a pier “here for fiiyppes, but fore decayed.” 
When the furvey of maritime places in Kent was made 
in the eighth year of queen Elizabeth’s reign, the num¬ 
ber of houfes in “Margate was 108; boats and other vef- 
fels, fifteen of various burthens, from one ton to eigh¬ 
teen ; the perfons belonging to thefe vefi'els, occupied in 
carrying grain and fifhing, fixty.” 
Margate lies on the afeent of a hill, on the top of which 
ftands the church. It was formerly called St. John's, in 
which parith it lies; but it has changed its name fince it 
ceafed to be a little fifhing-town, as if it wereafhamed, in 
its improved date, to be known by its old acquaintance. 
The appellation Margate, or rather Meregate, is derived 
from an opening, or gate, through which there was a fmall 
mere, or ftream, running into the fea. That part of the 
town which originally formed the fifliing-village of St. 
John, is now called the High Jireet ; and another detached 
village in the valley leading from the pier was known by 
the name of Lucas-lane; though both are now united by 
liandfome ranges of buildings, many of which Hand where 
corn was wont to grow. 
The pari th of St. John is about three miles and a half 
acrofs each way, confiding of open corn-fields with fre¬ 
quent hill and dale, and containing feveral hamlets, and 
a cluder of houfes, befides the town of Margate, which, 
in matters of civil jurifdidiion, is fubjeft to the mayor of 
Dover, who , 'always appoints a deputy here, but invefts 
him with no higher power than that of a conftable. In 
1785, Margate having rifen intofome confequence, an at¬ 
tempt was made to throw off the yoke of dependence on 
Dover, to accomplifh which the inhabitants petitioned 
the crown for a charter of incorporation; but, the magis¬ 
trates of Dover making a ftrenuous oppofition, the bufi- 
nefs dropped ; though it was agreed on all hands, that a 
better police was neceffary in’ Inch a public place, and 
that this could only be obtained by local authorities. 
The old wooden pier of Margate having become ruin¬ 
ous, an aft. of parliament was obtained in 1787, for the 
improvement of the town, and rebuilding and improving 
the pier; in confequence of which the latter has been 
cafed on both fides with (tone, and extended fo as to en¬ 
large the harbour, and form a more complete fecurity for 
Snipping. 
The improvement of the harbour, and the great refort 
of company to this coaft, have cccafioned a confiderable 
increale in the number of fifliing and other craft belong¬ 
ing to this port ; fo that tile town is not only fupplied 
•with fifh for its own confumption, but great quantities 
are continually Sent to the metropolis. The whole num¬ 
ber of packets, hoys, boats, &c. which now belong to 
Margate, is about Seventy, Some of which are impelled 
by (team. 
The increasing refort of genteel people to this place 
for pleafure as well as bathing, rendered an inefeafe of 
buildings neceffary for their accommodation; and a new 
town has fprung up, to the Southward of the old one, on 
the fide of the hill near the church, while the former 
town has been greatly improved and enlarged. Cecil- 
fquare, built in 1769, confifts of Several Spacious houfes, 
as well as commodious fnops, which latter-allow a view 
of the fea. Hawley-lquare, erefted in a contiguous field, 
;s a uniform range of handfome houfes. Union-crefcent, 
oppofite to Cecil-fquare, is by far the moft elegant and 
tegular pile of buildings in the place. To the northward 
of the town is a place called the-Fort, which formerly had 
a mafter-gunner, and feveral pieces of ordnance, as a pro- 
teftion agarnft privateers; but on this Spot Neptune- 
Square is now erefted, and a fmall battery mounted on. 
the improved conftruftion, which equally provides for de¬ 
fence of, and is a'real embellifhment to, the town. On the 
oppofite hill, north-eaftward of the town, ftands an affem- 
blage of houfes, called Hooper’s-hill, where a curious ho¬ 
rizontal windmill for grinding corn has been erefted, at 
the back of the Profpeft-tavern Bowling-green. 
Of the various agreeable w'alks in and round Margate, 
the pier is the moft frequented. Being furniftied with a 
parapet, breaft-high, it forms an excellent parade; and is 
the general refort of company, both before and after ba¬ 
thing in the morning, and particularly in the evening, 
when it is crowded with beauty and faftiion. Indeed, 
whenever the hoy arrives, it is Sure to be filled both by 
the people of the town, who try to catch frefti cuftomers, 
and by the vifitors, who amul’e themfelves with obferv- 
ing the motley groupe landed from the veflel. 
The bathing-rooms are fituate near the harbour, on the 
weftern fide of the High-ftreet; and, though they are Se¬ 
ven in number, and feveral machines belong to eadv 
company have frequently a confiderable time to wait, be¬ 
fore they are able to procure a dip. Each perfon on his 
arrival enters his name, that he may have his regular turn, 
and in the mean while may amule himfelf with read¬ 
ing the newfpapers, thrumming a piano-forte, or in con- 
verfation with fellow-expeftants. The machines, which 
were the original invention of Benjamin Beale, a quaker, 
of Margate, are on a very commodious conftruftion, and 
may be driven to any depth in the fea by careful guides. 
There are alfo four marble Salt-water warm baths, filled 
from the Sea, which may be had at any temperature, on 
giving a (bort notice. But, as warm bathing is too ex- 
penfive to come within the reach of the afflifted poor. 
Some benevolent perfons, among whom was Dr. Lettlom, 
projefted a fea-bathing infirmary, the firrt ftone of which 
was laid in 1792; and it was opened in 1796, under the 
patronage of the prince of Wales, and the direftion of a 
committee. The building, which is neat but plain, is 
erefted at Weftbrook, and is liberally Supported. 
The affembiy-room, fituate in Cecil-fquare, is a Splen¬ 
did apartment, eighty-feven feet long, forty-three broad, 
and of a proportionate height. It is adorned with the 
bufts of his prefent majelty and the late duke of Cumber¬ 
land. The girandoles, mirrors, chandeliers, orchsftra, 
and other appendages, are in the firft liyle of elegance. 
Attached, are correfponding tea and card rooms, coffee- 
room, and billiard-room, all belonging to the Royal Ho¬ 
tel. The premifes extend a confiderable way up Cecil- 
ftreet. The leafon commences on the king’s birth-day, 
and clofe-s with the laft ball-night in Oftober. 
The theatre royal, fituate at the fouth-eaft corner of 
Hawley-fquare, was erefted in 1787, at an expenfe of 
more than 4000I. Its exterior holds out but little promife, 
being a plain brick ftrufture, and has more the appear¬ 
ance of a large barn ; hot the infide ls fitted up in a ftyle 
of neatnefs and elegance, and is furniftied with feenery 
painted by the late celebrated artift Harry Hodgings-; 
Some of them are, by connoiffeurs, efteemed the chefs- 
d’ceuvre of the art. Other Sources of amufement are the 
libraries, the nature of which, at watering-places, is well 
known. Attached to the Profpeft hotel, on Hoopers- 
hilJ, is a large bowling-green, with alcoves, where com¬ 
pany frequently refort to drink, tea; and iiere fire-works 
are occasionally exhibited. 
The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptift, ftands 
about half a mile from the lower part of Margate. It is 
a large flint building, rough calf, confifting of three long 
low aides, with as many chancels, Separated by pillars of 
various forms, and appears to have been built at different 
asras. At the weft end of the north aifte is a Square 
tower, crowned with a low Spire, containing a peal of fix 
bells. This church was formerly dependent on Minfter- 
S.r abbey s 
