2 o7 
NOTTINGH A M. 
of its architecture, arifing from the alterations and re¬ 
pairs it has undergone at different eras. St. Nicholas’s 
church was erefted in 1678, on the fite of one more an¬ 
cient, pulled down during the civil wars on account of 
its proximity to the caftle, a circumftance which might 
have rendered it beneficial to a befieging army. This 
ftrufture is of brick, ornamented with (lone corners. It 
confifts of a fpacious nave, and two fide-ailles, both of 
which have been greatly enlarged within thefe few years. 
The church of St. James, (landing near that of St. Ni¬ 
cholas, is built in imitation of the early pointed ftyle.— 
Thefe being the only places of worth ip connefted with 
the e(labli(hment in Nottingham, they are, as may be 
fuppofed, wholly inadequate to the accommodation of its 
numerous inhabitants. Hence diffenting and feftarian 
meeting-houfift are frequent, and ufually well-attended, 
not merely by the inferior orders, but by the more re- 
fpeftable claffes of the community. The Prelbyterians 
have two meeting-houfes, one on the High Pavement and 
the other near Caftle-gate; and the General Baptifts, the 
Baptizing Calvinifts, Quakers, and Wefleyan Methodills, 
have each one. The latter feft, however, far exceeds any 
of the others in point of number. A few Roman Ca¬ 
tholics have a chapel in Storey-ftreet. 
Nottingham formerly contained feveral religious infti- 
tulions. Leland fays, “ there hath been three houfes of 
freres, as I remember, whereof two ftoode toward the 
welle ol the town, and not far from the caftelle.” The 
Francifcans or grey friars, had a houfe in the weft part 
of the town, in a place called the Broad Marfti, not far 
from the caftle. The wall which encircled the garden 
reached as far fouth as the river Leen. This houfe was 
founded by Henry III. in 1250, and was granted at the 
diffolution to Thomas Heneage. Between Moot-hall- 
gate and James’s-lane (food a houfe of Carmelites or white 
triars, founded by Reginald lord Grey de Wilton and 
fir John Shirley, in the year 1276. The fite was granted 
by Henry VIII. to James Sturley. The houfe of the 
Hofpitallers was fituated at the northern extremity of the 
town, near the north road. The period of its founda¬ 
tion is unknown ; but it was in exiftence as early as the 
reign of king John, and was valued at 5I. 6s. 8d. per annum 
in the time of Henry VIII. St. Leonard’s Hofpital for 
Lepers (tood fomewhere on the eaftern fide of the town. 
The inhabitants of this houfe had the privilege of cutting 
the dead wood in the foreft of Nottingham. St. Sepul¬ 
chre’s was a brotherhood in the reign of Henry III. but 
the date of its foundation is not mentioned. In the 
church of St. Mary was a guild or fraternity dedicated 
to the Holy Trinity : their houfe on the High Pavement 
is frill (landing, and retains its original name. Befides 
this guild, there were three chantries in St. Mary’s church. 
In St. Peter’s church was a guild of St. George, and a 
chantry dedicated to St. Mary; and in the church of 
St. Nicholas was a fraternity, all’o dedicated to the bleffed 
Virgin. 
Nottingham contains feveral buildings appropriated to 
public purpofes. The Town-hall, fituated on the High 
Pavement, is a large building three (lories high, with the 
town-prifon on the ground-floor. Behind this edifice is 
the county-prifon,. which is laid to be managed under very 
excellent regulations. The Town-and-county gaol is 
alfo as commodious as circumftances-will admit of. It 
would dill, however, require much amelioration to render 
it complete; and the fame thing-may be remarked of the 
Town-bridewell, which (lands in St. John’s-ftreet, and- 
was till lately a difgrace to the town. The Workhoufes 
are three in number, and are all laid out upon a conve¬ 
nient plan, and kept exceedingly clean. But the chief 
glory of Nottingham, is its eftablifhments for-the relief of 
the difeafed. The Infirmary may vie, in point of archi¬ 
tectural elegance and internal arrangement, with any 
building in the country fet apart for fimilar purpofes. It 
confifts of a centre, two advancing wings, and two ends; 
and is fituated in a fine airy fite, furrour.ded with plea- 
fant walks and gardens. The firft done of this ftrufture 
Vol. XVII. No. 1175. 
was laid in 1781, clofe to the fpot on which king Charles 
erefted his ftandard in 164.2, whence the place is dill dif- 
tinguillied by the name of Standard-hill. The total num¬ 
ber of patients to whom affiftance had been afforded from 
this inftitution, fince its opening, up to March 1812, 
amounted to 37,161 perfons. The Lunatic-afylum i.s like- 
wife an elegant building, and in every refpeft admirably 
adapted to its object. It was opened for admiflion in Fe¬ 
bruary 1812. According to the prefent regulations, the 
patients form three claffes : perfons who can pay for their 
cure and maintenance in proportion to their ability ; per¬ 
fons admitted on the payment of very fmall funis; and 
paupers, for whom a certain rate mu ft be paid by the county. 
Befides thefe inllitutions for the relief of the poor, there 
are perhaps a greater number of hofpital s here than in any 
other town in the ifland. Plumtre’s Hofpital, founded in 
the reign of Richard II. 1392, has been lately repaired 
and augmented by a defcendant of the.founder ; and now 
fupports thirteen poor old women, under the manage¬ 
ment of a chaplain and mailer. Collins’s Hofpital, built 
in 1704, affords an afylum to twenty-four poor men and 
women, each having two comfortable apartments, and 
two (hillings per week, with a ton and a half of coals per 
annum. The other hofpitals are Willoughby’s Hofpital, 
in the Fifhergate; Woolley’s Hofpital, in Beck-lane; 
Handley’s Hofpital, in Stoney-ftreet; Labourer’s Hof¬ 
pital, on Toll-houfe-hill; Narlargate Hofpital, &c. the 
whole of which afford relief to upwards of 70 poor and in¬ 
firm individuals: and, independent of them, are feveral 
alms-houfes and charity-eflablilhments in the town, of 
which lad, the moll important are known by the appella¬ 
tion of the Peckham and Coventry charities. 
The public fchools in this town are fully fufficient in 
pumber for its fize; and, from the recent regulations which 
have been made refpefting them, are likely in future to 
anlwer every benevolent purpofe for which they were 
founded. The free grammar-fchool was erefted and en¬ 
dowed, in 1513, by Agnes Mellors, the widow of a wealthy 
bell-founder in Nottingham. This fchool had almoft 
fallen into difufe ; but, in 1807, its importance was revived 
by the exertions of the corporation, and now 60 boys are 
taught in it, not only Greek and Latin, but Englilh, wri¬ 
ting, and arithmetic, gratis. An excellent charity-fchool 
is likewife ellablifhed on the High Pavement, which is 
entirely fupported by voluntary contribution, and main¬ 
tains 50 poor children of both iexes, who are inftrufted 
in religion and i:a Englilh reading. There are alfo feveral 
(mailer lchools, fupported on the fame liberal principles ; 
one, in St. Mary’s parifii, educates 30 poor children, and 
another 16. The Proteftant Dilfenters fupport one for 
the poor children of their own perfuafion, who are clothed, 
and plainly educated. A cliurch-of-England Sunday- 
fchool has been for fome time in exiftence ; and many 
others have been lately eftablifhed by private individuals, 
either alone or coileftively. The total number of children 
educated at thefe fchools, and at private feminaries in this 
town, is eftimated to exceed 3000. 
The markets are Wedneldays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 
Fairs, on Friday after Jan. 13, May 7, Thurfday before 
Fader, and Oftober 2 ; the lad of which is the principal, 
continuing nine days, for horfes, cattle, and clieefe. The 
market-place has been long admired ; 'Leland fays, “ it is 
the mod faired, without exception, of all England ;” and 
it is certainly one of the molt fpacious in the kingdom. 
At the upper end of it formerly itood the Malt-crofs, but 
that, with all the other erodes of the town, were deftroyed 
during the great rebellion. The New Exchange is fitua¬ 
ted at the eaftern corner of the market-area. It was 
erefted by the corporation in the early part of the laff 
century, and is a har.dfome brick building, four (lories 
high, and 123 feet in length. In front it is fupported 
by a range of done pillars, forming a fpacious open fa- 
9ade, under which a part of the lhambles are fixed. 
The public amufements of Nottingham are fimilar to 
thofeofmoft other large provincial towns: viz. affemblies, 
balls, concerts, theatrical reprefentations, and iiorl'e- 
3 U races. 
