that of the Baptitts : 
. Gx | vence to the reader. 
1204. ] 
In 1732 was erected by fome,. who had . 
feparated from the original congregation 
of Diflenters here, a neat, plain, and 
uniform building, of the dimentions of 
thirty-three feet in front and forty-nine 
feet eight inches in depth. The third 
chapel belonging to the Diffenters, is 
a fociety of whom 
exilted here fo far back as 1646. This 
building was raifed in 1721. Its dimen- 
fions are fifty-four feet by forty-nine. 
The roof is fapported by two ft. ong and 
curious pillars of the Corinthian order. 
The pulpit and its ftaircafe are enriched 
with elegant carved work. The fiont 
of the galleries and pews are made of 
Flemith oak, which gives tothe whole a 
neat and handfome appearance. It is 
remarkable for 
pew in it, and the feats are judicioufly 
arranged fo as to make the accefs to. 
them perfectly: eafy, and to give every 
hearer a view of the preacher. The 
place of worthip belonging to the Quakers, 
the ground for which was the git of 
Mr. Rotert Button, was built in 1693, 
and its dimenfions are fifty-four by 
twenty-feven feet. In 1778,.under the 
direétion of the Reverend John Welley, 
was erected, for the ufe of a fociety of 
Methodilts, a neat oftagon chapel, forty 
feet in diameter, conveniently pewed, 
It is rendered light and chearful by twelve 
handiome windows, fix of which are cir- 
cular, is furnifhed with a curious time- 
piece, and accommodated with a good 
vellry-room. Before it isa fpacious 
area, inclofed with a large iron gate and 
palifades. 
The fecond clafs of public buildings 
includes a free-{chool, and two aims- 
houfes. The free-grammar {chool is a 
large and ftrong ftructure, with a houfe 
for the matter. It was founied by Fox, 
Bifhop of Wincheiter, in the reign of 
Henry VII. whole arms are over the 
entrance; and was endowed, in 1553, 
by William Walbec and by Wiliiam 
Pool, o} Colyford, Efquires : the matter is 
named by the Warden of New Coll-ge in 
Oxford. One alms-houfe was founded 
by Robe:t Gray, Eig. 
poor men and a reader, and ten poor 
‘women, with an allowance of two fin}. 
lings a week to each, and two fhillings and 
The building i is 
an hundred and fifty feet ‘in length, hav- 
ing, belides the chapel and {chool-room, 
feventéen” feparate apartments, with a 
{mall garden to each. On the front are 
the arms of the founder, and of the Mer- 
chant-taylor’s Company in London, of 
Lhe prefent State of Taunton, 
not having one double 
im 1635, for fix - 
227 
which Mr. Gray wasa member. It was 
erected in his lite'y but «as he died before 
his truiiees were named, and his will was 
- perfeéted, ‘his benevolent defign was con- 
firmed and carried into full effeét by a 
decree of chancery, under Edward, Lord 
Lyttleton. The other alins- hoafe de- 
rivés its name from its’ founder, (by a 
will, dated 30 January, 1615.) Riehard 
Haiti, Efg. one of the family cf the 
Huzfhes, Of Douiferd, in the county of 
Somerfet, and of Sand, in the parith of 
Sidbury, m the county of Devon. The 
building, a Jarge good houle, ninety- 
five feet in lene ‘th, is laid ovt inte ‘a 
chapel, and thirteen feparate rooms, for 
thirteen poor, needy, maimed, impotent, 
or aged men; one cf the moft difcreet of 
whom, who can write and read Englifh, 
is appomted prefident or reader, with a 
penfion of three fhillings and four. pence 
per week ; two fhillines and eight pence 
3 week, is allowed to each of the other 
twelve, payable, under the direction of 
twenty-two governors, from a ground- 
rent charged on houfes in Black Priars, 
Loncon; the furplus of which is affigned 
to the repairs of the building and to 
furnith the penfioners with gowns or 
coats, There was formerly another 
alms-houfe, confitting of eighteen fepa- 
rate rooms, founded sy Dorothy Henley, 
in 1637, which has for many years 
been deititute of any funds, either for the 
maintenance of its inhabitants, or the re. 
pairs of the building ; which was occu- 
pied by paupers, placed in it by the 
overfeers of tie parifh of St. Mary Mag- 
dalen. When the building had fallen 
info a ruinous ftate, and was, from dif- 
ferent caufes, become a nuifance, and it 
appeared on the eltimate of two builders, 
delivered on oath, that the ne ceflary re- | 
pars would require an hundred pounds: 
Sir Benjamin Hammet, one of the Hee. 
fentatives of the town, purchaied and 
fitted it up in 1787, at his own exvence,. 
for the ule of the parifh, on the credit of 
the vote of the vefiry engaging to pay 
him that fum, mn the room of Heniey’s 
Alms-houie, the {cite of which is now 
included in Hammet’s-(treet, more com- 
modious tenements, to receive a greater 
number of poar, in aremoter part ef the 
town, on a fpot more healthy, to bear the 
name of “¢ Henley’s Alms boufe.* 
To the edifices erefted for the relief 
of poverty and diltrefs, humanity would 
with to add, that there is an infirmary 
for the fick. Benevolence once rejoiced 
in the profpect, that Taunton would 
afford an afylum for ‘difeafe- and fickness, 
H h 2 ‘The 
