864 
T A V 
T A U 
To exprobrate; to mention with upbraiding. 
Rail thou in Fulvia’s phrase, and taunt my faults 
With such full licence. Shakspeare. 
TAUNT, s. Insult; scoff; reproach; ridicule. 
With scoffs and scorns, and contumelious taunts. 
In open market-place produc’d they me, 
To be a public spectacle. Shakspeare. 
TA'UNTER, s. One who taunts, reproaches, or insults. 
Huloet. 
TA'UNTINGLY, adv. With insult; scoffingly; with 
contumely and exprobation. 
It tauntingly replied 
To th’ discontented members, th’ mutinous parts. 
That envied his receipt. Shakspeare. 
TAUNTON, a market town and borough of England, in 
the county of Somerset. It is situated upon the river Tone, 
is one of the principal towns in the county, and, in point of 
size, buildings, and the respectability of its inhabitants, may 
vie with many cities. It extends in length nearly a mile from 
east to west, and consists of four principal streets, with vari¬ 
ous minor ones branching off. The streets are wide and 
airy; the houses are very well built, and most of them have 
small gardens behind, which add greatly to their healthiness, 
as well as to the convenience of the inhabitants. The country 
in the vicinity is the most delightful imaginable; and the 
vale of Taunton, or Taunton Dean, is proverbial for its fer¬ 
tile soil and temperate climate. The public buildings are 
the churches, the market-house and town-hall, with the free 
grammar school. The parish churches are two in number, 
viz., St. Mary Magdalen’s and St. James’s. St. Mary’s is a 
very elegant and splendid building, situated near the centre 
of the town. It is built in the Gothic style of architecture, 
whence it has been supposed to have been founded by 
Henry VII. as were several other churches in Somersetshire, 
in token of his gratitude to the county for their steady ad¬ 
herence to the house of Lancaster. Besides the parish 
churches, there are several dissenting meeting-houses in the 
town. The largest, as well as the oldest, is called Paul’s 
meeting-house. 
The market-house stands in the centre of the town, and is 
a handsome and commodious building, with several apart¬ 
ments for different purposes. In the lower part is the town- 
hall, and a coffee-room furnished with newspapers, &c. On 
the first floor there is an elegant assembly-room, 50 feet long, 
and 30 wide, in which hang two superb chandeliers, presented 
to the inhabitants of Taunton by the late colonel Coxe, when 
representative for the county. In the upper floor is a hand¬ 
some room, supplied with a billiard-table. On each side of 
this house is a large wing or arcade, for the accommodation 
of those who attend the markets with poultry, butter, and 
other articles of provisions. The corn-market is also held in 
one of the arcades. In front is a spacious area, on which are 
erected moveable stalls, placed in rows, for the use of the 
butchers. This area is inclosed by posts and chains. In the 
middle of it, to the north, is a noble pavement of broad stones, 
216 feet in length, and 18 broad, which is called the Parade. 
The free grammar school of Taunton was founded in the reign 
of Henry VII. by Richard Fox, bishop of Winchester. It 
was liberally endowed about the year 1553, by William 
Walbee. The charitable institutions in Taunton consist of 
several alms-houses, two work-houses, and an hospital or in¬ 
firmary. The work-houses support a considerable number 
of poor. Taunton hospital is an oblong building, situate in 
East Reach, and was erected by subscription in 1811, to 
commemorate the jubilee kept in honour of his late majesty’s 
having attained the 50th year of his reign. The building 
which was erected about 50 years ago for the purpose of an 
hospital, has been converted into a convent, and is now in¬ 
habited by nuns of the order of St. Bridget, who came into 
England during the troubles occasioned by the revolution in 
France. Part of the castle of Taunton still remains. It was 
originally built by Ina, king of the West Saxons, so early as 
the year 700. On the north side of the town stands a farm¬ 
house, called the Priory, near to which there was once a 
priory of black canons, which was founded by William Gif¬ 
ford, bishop of Winchester, in the reign of Henry I. Be¬ 
sides this, there were several chapels and chantries in Taun¬ 
ton, all of which were dependent on the mother church, in 
the convent dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. Taunton 
carries on some manufactures, and also a considerable trade 
to Bridgewater by means of the Tone, which is navigable 
for small craft. It was for a long period the principal seat 
of the manufacture of coarse woollen goods, such as serges, 
druggets, shalloons, &c. This manufacture flourished here 
soon after its introduction into England by the memorable 
John Kemp, from Flanders. 
Large quantities of malt liquor are sent from this town to 
Bristol for exportation. Taunton is an ancient borough by 
prescription, but its rights were confirmed by a charter at a 
very early period. In the reign of Charles II. it was deprived 
of its charter by that prince, on account of its adherence to 
the parliament during the reign of his father. He restored 
its privileges, however, about 17 years thereafter. During 
the existence of its charter, the corporation consisted of a 
mayor, recorder, two aldermen, 24 capital burgesses, a town- 
clerk, two constables, and two serjeants-at-mace. Besides 
these magistrates, there were six gentlemen, justices of the 
peace at large, with powers to act within the borough. The 
mayor and aldermen were elected annually from among the 
burgesses. About 1792, the corporate body was dissolved, 
and the charter lost, on account of the number of members 
having been allowed to decrease below a majority of the 
whole. 
Taunton is a place of great antiquity, and numerous Ro¬ 
man coins have been found in the neighbourhood. It is cer¬ 
tain that it was a place of some note in the time of the Saxons, 
from the circumstance of king Ina building his castle here. 
In 1821 Taunton contained 1503 houses, and 8539 inhabi¬ 
tants. Markets on Wednesday and Saturday, which are very 
considerable; 31 miles north-east of Exeter, and 140 west of 
London. Lat. 51. 1. N. long. 3. 6. W. 
TAUNTON, a post township of the United States, and 
capital of Bristol county, Massachusetts, on the river Taunton. 
Lat. 41. 24. N. long. 71. 10. W. 
TAUNTON, a river of the United States, which empties 
into Narraganset bay, at Tiverton, opposite the north end of 
Rhode Island. It is formed by several streams which rise in 
Plymouth county, Massachusetts. Its course is about 50 
miles from north-east to south-west, and it is navigable for 
small vessels to Taunton, which is about 20 miles. 
TAUNTON-DEAN, or the Vale of Taunton, a dis¬ 
trict of England, in the county of Somerset, extending about 
30 miles along the course of the river Tone, and noted for its 
remarkable fertility and produce. 
TAVO POINT, a cape on the north coast of Java. Lat. 6. 
27. S. long. 111. 4, E. 
TAVOLARA, a small island on the north-east coast of 
Sardinia, in front of the entrance of the harbour of Terra Nova. 
The only occupants of this island are wild goats. 
TAVORA, a small town of the north of Portugal, in the 
province of Beria; 6 miles east of Lamego. 
TAVOY, a town of the Birman empire, province of Pegue, 
and district of Martaban. It is advantageously situated on 
the eastern side of a fine bay, formed by an extensive island 
of the same name, and were it not for the jealously of its pre¬ 
sent possessors, might be a place of considerable commerce. 
Tavoy formerly belonged to the king of Siam, but was taken 
by the Birmans in 1785. It was besieged the following year 
by the Siamese, but was so well defended, or rather the be¬ 
siegers so aukward, that it remained in possession of the con¬ 
querors till the year 1790, when bribery caused the gates to 
be opened, and restored it to the monarch of Siam. It was 
again taken by the Birmans in 1792, and confirmed to them 
by the treaty of peace of 1793. Lat. 13. 20. N. long. 98. 
20. E. 
TAURAT, a settlement on the island of Cuba; 38 miles 
north-north-east of St. Jago. 
TAURE, 
