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W I N 
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WI'MBLE, s. [ wimpel, old Dutch, from wemelen, to 
bore.] An instrument with which holes are bored. 
At harvest-home, trembling to approach 
The little barrel which he fears to broach, 
He ’ssays the wimble, often draws it back. 
And deals to thirsty servants but a smack. Dri/den. 
To WI'MBLE, v. a. To bore.—The soldier wimbled 
a hole into the coffin that was largest, probably fancying 
there was something well worthy his adventure. Sir T. 
Herbert. 
WIMBLEDON, a township of England, North Riding of 
Yorkshire, near Helmsley.—2. A village and parish of En¬ 
gland, in the county of Surrey, and in the vicinity of the 
metropolis, noted for the numerous elegant villas and man¬ 
sions which it contains. Wimbledon church is a new build¬ 
ing, in the Grecian style, erected in 1788, at the sole expense 
of the inhabitants. In the village are some copper mills, a 
manufactory for printing calicoes, and another of japanned 
ware. Wimbledon common, which joins to that of Putney, 
is about a mile square; and though formerly famous for rob¬ 
beries, has now many handsome residences around it. Earl 
Spencer has a handsome mansion here: the original house 
was built by the son of the lord treasurer Burleigh in 1588, 
and afterwards rebuilt by Sarah, duchess of Marlborough; 
but it was burnt down in 1785. The park and grounds are 
laid out in great taste, containing an area of 1200 acres. 
Wimbledon Lodge is an elegant modern structure. Among 
other villas which skirt the common, is that of the late John 
Horne Tooke, where that celebrated character closed his ca¬ 
reer in March, 1812. At the south-west corner is a circular 
encampment, with a single ditch, including a space of seven 
acres. This, by Camden and others, is supposed to have 
beep the spot where a battle was fought between Ceaulin, 
king of the West Saxons, and Ethelbert, king of Kent, in 
which the latter was defeated. This battle, according to his¬ 
torical report, was fought at Wibadune, in the year 568. 
Population 1914. 
WIMBLEDON, Point, a cape on the west coast of North 
America, at the extremity of a peninsula, between two arms 
of Cross Sound. Lat. 58. 19. N. long. 223. 56. E. 
WIMBLEHILL, a hamlet of England, in the parish of 
Asliill, Somersetshire. 
WIMBLINGTON, a hamlet of England, in Cambridge¬ 
shire ; 4 miles south of March. Population 679. 
WIMBOLDERLEY, a township of England, in Cheshire, 
parish of Middlewich. 
WIMBORNE-M1NSTER, a market town of England, in 
Dorsetshire, of very high antiquity, and celebrated for its 
beautiful collegiate qhurch. It is situated between the rivers 
Stour and Allen, over each of which it has a bridge, on a dry 
gravelly soil, in one of the most delightful vales in the king¬ 
dom. It was called by the Romans Vindogladia, or Venta- 
geladia, alluding to its situation on a river; and is supposed 
to have formed a station to the camp at Badbury. The later 
appellation of Wimborne, or Wimbourne, is Saxon, being 
derived from Bourne, a brook or running water, and Wim, 
a little river which flows on the north and east sides of the 
town. The term Minster is added from the church, to dis¬ 
tinguish it from other places of the name of Wimbourne. 
The church is deserving of particular notice. Some are of 
opinion that it is of the heaviest and earliest species of Saxon 
architecture, and that its form sufficiently attests its antiquity; 
while others are of opinion that the eastern tower, and most 
part of the church, was built soon after the conquest. Many 
parts are apparently of the Saxon age, particularly the semi¬ 
circular arches on the eastern tower, the false windows in 
the south transept, and several others. This edifice is built 
in the form of a cross, with two quadrangular towers; one of 
them standing on the middle of the roof, and the other at the 
west end. The former was adorned anciently with a spire, 
said to have been of an extraordinary height. The whole 
building is divided in the manner of a cathedral, and consists 
of a chancel, nave, choir, and side ailes; a transept or cross 
aile, and three porches. Its length, from east to west, is 180 
Vol. XXIV. No. 1664. 
feet. The ascent to the chancel is by a flight of twelve steps, 
in two divisions, six to the stalls, and six to the chancel, 
which give it a very noble and grand appearance. Both 
chancel and choir are supported by eight pillars, over which 
are five windows on the north, all open, and only three on 
the south side, but all much smaller than those of the nave. 
The choir has seven stalls on each side, besides two at the 
upper end; the whole covered with canopies of carved oak. 
On the south side of the altar are four large niches or stalls, 
handsomely purfled ; one of which has a holy-water basin 
on a pillar: and at the west end is a handsome organ. The 
nave is supported on each side by six massy pillars, of an 
irregular form; above which are pointed arches, with zig¬ 
zag mouldings; the whole enlightened by a similar number 
of windows, apparently of a much later fashion. In this 
church numerous royal and noble personages have been 
buried, most of whom were anciently commemorated by 
suitable monuments. Of these, many are destroyed by time, 
and more by violence. King Ethelred, who was slain in bat¬ 
tle by the Danes, is said to have been buried here, and his 
tomb is pointed out on the north side of the altar. There is 
a tything or liberty within the town, styled the Borough, in 
which a court is held at Michaelmas yearly, the privilege of 
H. Bankes, Esq. It is a courtjleet and court baron ; twelve 
jurymen sworn, who appoint two bailiffs of the Borough, 
and they are sworn in, in the same manner as constables at 
other courts. They have no power out of the tything. They 
have nothing to do with that part called the town. Market 
on Friday; and its fairs are the Friday before Good Friday, 
and the 14th September; 26 miles east-north-east of Dor¬ 
chester, and 100 south-west-by-west of London. Population 
3560. 
WIMBORNE, All Saints and St. Giles, two united 
parishes of England, in the county of Dorset, situated on 
the river Allen. Population 386. 
WIMBOTSHAM, a parish of England, in Norfolk, near 
Market Downham. 
WIMES WOULD, a parish of England, in Leicestershire; 
5 miles north-east of Loughborough. 
WIMMA, a river of Germany, in Hanover, and the duchy 
of Luneburg, which rises near Harburg, and after traversing 
the duchy of Bremen, runs into the Weser. 
WIMMENTHAL, a large village of Germany, in Wirtem- 
berg, near Heilbronn. 
WIMMERBY, a town of Sweden, in the province of 
Smaland ; 62 miles north of Calmar. Population 1000. 
WIMMINGTON, a parish of England, in Bedfordshire; 
12 miles from Bedford. 
WIMM1S, a small town and castle of Switzerland, in the 
canton of Bern; 18 miles south of Bern. 
WIMPFEN, a town of Germany, in Hesse-Darmstadt; 
65 miles north of Heilbronn. Population 2000. 
WI'MPLE, s. [ guimple , Fr.] A hood; a veil. 
So fair and fresh, as freshest flower in May, 
For she had laid her mournful stole aside, 
And widow-like sad wimple thrown away. Spenser. 
WI'MPLE, s. [piplion, Lat.] A plant. 
To WI'MPLE, v. a. [ wimpelen , Teut., to veil.] To 
draw down as a hood or veil. 
The same did hide. 
Under a veil that wimpled was full low, Spenser. 
WIMPOLE, or Wimple, a parish of England, in Cam¬ 
bridgeshire; 4y miles south-east of Caxton. 
WIMPSTOW, a hamlet of England, in Warwickshire; 
4| miles south-by-east of Stratford-upon-Avon. 
WIN, whether initial or final in the names of men, may 
either denote a masculine temper, from pin, which signifies 
war, strength, &c., or else the general love and esteem he 
hath among the people, from the Saxon pine, i. e. dear, be¬ 
loved. In the names of places it implies a battle fought 
there. Gibson. 
To WIN, v. a. pret. wan and won ; part. pass. won. To 
gain by conquest. 
7 G Follow 
