Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/369

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ISLINGTON ST. MARY. 3C1 ISLINGTON ST. MARY. Clement. It is situated near the turnpike road from 'Wifbeachto Lynn, and Wisbeach to Downham Market. The suil is loam intermixed with clay and sand. Islington Hall is the principal residence. ISLINGTON ST. MARY, an extensive suburban par., forming part of the Metropolitan horough of Finsbury, in the Finsbury div. of the hund. of Ossul- stone, co. Middlesex, 2 miles N. of St. Paul's, London. It has stations on the Blackball and Kingston and ii London railways at Highbury, and a station on tin (i rent Northern at Ilolloway. The parish includes besides Islington proper, the populous suburban districts nf Highbury, Ilolloway, Ballspond, Battlehridge, Barns- bury Park, Kingsland, and Newington Green. This . called in Domesday Book Iscldone, or the "lower i," appears to have derived its name from its situa- tion with regard to Tolcntonc, the modern Highbury. In the vicinity of Barnsbury Park were until recently traces of a Roman camp, supposed to have been that of Suetonius Paulinus, who encamped hero previous to his battle with Boadicea, whom he defeated at Battle Bridge. There is also a Roman camp at Highbury, and many coins and weapons were discovered at Islington in 1845, near White Conduit House, some of the coins bearing date 110. It was a place of some importance in the time of the Saxons, and subsequently supplied the inhabitants of London with many agricultural products. It is mentioned in Percy's " lieliques " as the "merry country Tillage," The Welsh chiefs who visited Edward I. took up their quarters at Islington. In 14G5 Henry VI. was taken prisoner at this village after the battle of Hexham by the Earl of Warwick. Henry VII. was escorted through this place after the defeat of Lambert Simnel. Henry VIII. and Queen Elizabeth frequently visited Islington, and the Earl of Leicester, Sir John Spencor, Robert Dudley, and Sir Thomas Fowler resided here. During the reign of Mary many of the inhabitants suffered death for their adherence to the Protestant faith. Canonbury House, of which the tower and other remains arc still standing, was the seat of tlio Prior of St. Bartholomew's Monastery in Smithficld. From the tower a view of the surrounding country and London are obtained. At Highbury was the moated scat of the Prior of St. John's, Clcrkenwell, which was demolished by the mob under Wat Tyler. During the Civil War extensive fortifications were erected here by order of the parliament for the protection of the Metropolis. -The parish, which is situated on rising ground on cither side of the New River, has latterly become a populous suburb of London. It is well paved, lighted with gas, and abundantly supplied with water (the latter by the New River Companj). There are many squares ; among the principal are C'loudoslcy, Limsdale, Milner, and Gibson, Highbury and Barnsbury Parks, Highbury Crescent, and Canonbury, and many residences of the city merchants and tradesmen. Among the principal buildings are the Vestry Hall, situated in Upper-street, a modern erection ; 'the Clcrkenwell Inew county court ; the model prison, for solitary | confinement, situated in the Caledonian-road; City n, Metropolitan police station, and the Agricultural < m-led in 1862 in this last are held the annual shows of the Smithfield club, and occasionally rts, balls, &c. ; it is the largest hall in London, capable of holding 50,000 people; the Church

college, opposite Tyndale-placc, was erected

11827, and is capable of accommodating 40 students; the i England training college is a brick building, d in 1826, at a cost of 22,000 it has a portico '.re, with two wings; the Church of England "rielary school; Church of England young men's institution; working men's institute; usury, savings-bank, and branch of the don and County bank, and four hospitals.* On gton Gre<-n is a well-executed statue of Sir Hugh . inaugurated in 1803. The new Cattle and ii capable of accomc*

tlri und 60,000 sheep. The living is a

dioc. of London, val. 1,400, in the patron, of trustees. Tho parish church, dedicated to St. Mary, is erected on the site of an older one, and has a tower crowned by a spire containing a peal of bells and illu- minated clock. Tho tower was repaired in 1787 by means of a curious wicker scaffold, put up by a per- son named Birch, a basket maker. In the interior are two ancient brasses, and tombs of Lady Owen, Dr. William Hawes, founder of the Royal Humane Society, Dr. William Cave Aubert, of Highbury House, Poole, the founder of the Small-pox Hospital, Baxter, and Cloudesley. In the churchyard are buried the Rev. John Lindsay, an eminent non-Irving clergyman, John Hyacinth-de-Magelhaens, the natural philosopher, Osborno tho bookseller, and Nichols the antiquary. In addition there are the following district churches: St. Stephen's, a perpot. cur., val. 400, in the patron, of tho vicar ; St. Peter's, a perpet. cur.,* val. 400, in tho patron, of tho vicar; Christ Church, a perpet. cur., val. 550, in the patron, of trustees ; St. James's, a perpet. cur., val. 600, in tho patron, of the vicar ; St. Clement's, a perpet. cur., val. 300 ; St. Luke's, a perpet. cur., val. 100, in the patron, of trustees ; C'hapel-of-ease at Hollo- way, with the cur. of St. Barnabas, val. 700, in tho patron, of trustees ; St. Philip's, a perpet. cur., val. 300, in tho patron, of trustees ; St. John's, a perpet. cur., val. 000, in the patron, of trustees ; St. Mark's, a perpet. cur., val. 300, in the patron, of the Incumbent of St. John's ; St. Mary's, a perpet. cur., val. 400, in the patron, of the Incumbent of St. Matthew's ; St. Paul's, a perpet. cur., val. 550, in the patron, of trustees; St. Matthew's, a perpet. cur., val. 400, in tho patron, of the Incumbent of St. Paul's; St. Jude's, a perpet. cur.,* val. 200, in the patron, of tho Incumbent of St. Paul's ; Holy Trinity, a perpet. cur., val. 485, in tho patron, of trustees; AU Saints, a perpet. cur., val. 300, with tho cur. of St. Matthias, in tho patron, of tho Incumbent of Trinity; St. Andrew's, a perpet. cur., with tho cur. of St. Michael's, val. 450, in the patron, of the Incumbent of Trinity; St. Thomas's, a porpet. cur., val. 300, in the patron, of trus- tees. Dr. AVilliam Cave, Bishop Wilson, and Strahan, once held the living of this parish. There are places of worship for Independents, Wesleyans, Primitive Me- thodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Uni- tarians, and Irvingitcs. There are numerous charities, amongwhich areWhittington'sCollege,oralmshouses, at Ilolloway, erected near the spot where he heard " Bow bells." The Clothworkcrs' almshouscs, situated in Frog- lane, are for widows of decayed members. They were founded in 1538 by Margaret Countess of Kent. In Queen's Head-lane arc 8 almshouses, founded by Mrs. Davis in 1794, and endowed with 2,000 in the Three per Cent. Consols. There are also almshouscs for brick- layers, bookbinders, &c. There arc several charitable bequests for distribution among the poor. This parish shares with Clerkenwell in the benefit, of Lady Owen's schools and almshouses. In 1517 Richard Cloudesley left certain money and lands called the Stonefield Estate, for endowing the Hermitage chantry, now pulled down. By an Act of Parliament obtained in 1811, the proceeds of this charity, amounting to 925 per annum, wore applied to the repairing and maintenance of the chapel- of-ease and of the three district churches erected in 1827. The parochial schools have an endowment of 160 per annum. There are National, Lancastrian, British, and infant schools in different parts of tho parish. The Caledonian Asylum for tho maintenance and education of the children of Scotch soldiers and sailors who have cither died or been disabled in tho service, and also of the children of Scotch parents resident in London, was incorporated in 1815. The children wear tho Scotch national costume. Tho building is a brick structure situated in the Copenhagen Fields, and has a portico of four fluted columns surmounted by a statue of St. Andrew. Among the many eminent persons who were residents or natives of this parish may be mentioned Sir Walter Raleigh, G. Morland, the painter, Pepys, Top- ham, the strong man, Nichols, the antiquary, Edmund H alley, tho astronomer and mathematician, Bagford, the antiquary, Pain who wrote tho " Rights of Man,"