Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/555

LAUNCESTON. 647 LAUNTON. ierc wns a cell to Hartland Abbey, which at the Disso- on came to the diamonds of Launcells House, now _ [net. The village is very irregularly built, and is ntirely agricultural. The impropriate tithes have been nmuted for a rent-charge of 280, and the vicarial for The living is a vie. * in the dioe. of Exeter, val. 181. The church, dedicated to St. Swithin, is an nt stone structure with a lofty embattled and pin- 1 tower containing six bells. The interior contains ne carved sittings, and the altar tomb of Sir John nond, with a recumbent effigy. The charities pro- about 2 per annum, which goes to Orchard's houses, built for four poor persons. There is a National school for both sexes at Grimscott. LAUNCESTON, or LAUNSTON, a par., market n, municipal and parliamentary borough, in the N. div. of the hund. of East, co. Cornwall, 13 miles from Tavistock, 20 N.E. of Bodmin, and 213 S.W. by W. of London. It is situated on the high road to Truro and 1'almonth, at the head of the Bude canal, close to the rivers Kensey and Tamar, over which latter is an iron bridge. It was anciently called Dwmehmed, or tho " Swelling Hill," and is mentioned in Domesday Book as a town before the Norman Conquest. On a hill, partly formed by nature and partly artificial, are tho ruins of a castle, rebuilt by William Earl of Mor- taigne, which became the seat of the dukes of Corn- wall, and was alternately occupied by tho royalists and parliamentarians in the civil war of Charles I. Tho principal portion now remaining, and recently occupied as the county gaol, is the round keep, 18 feet in diameter, and 32 high, crowning tho summit of the hill, and en- closed by three or four walls about 6 feet apart and 1 2 thick, overgrown with ivy and evergreens. The castle grounds have been laid out at the expense of the dukes of Northumberland, constables of the castle under tho Prince of Wales, to whom the manor belongs, and on whom it confers the title of viscount. The town, which was anciently surrounded by a wall with three gate- ways, was first chartered by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, ior to Henry III. It sent two members to parlia- ment from the reign of Edward I., and was incorporated !-) Queen Mary in 1555, with the style of " mayor and commonalty of the borough of Dunneheved, otherwise Launceston." At the passing of the Reform Act the ancient boundaries of the parliamentary borough were extended, so as to include the disfranchised borough of Newport, with tho adjoining parishes of St. Thomas, South Petherwin, Lawhiton, and St. Stephen's, which last includes Newport. The consolidated borough of Launseston-with-Newport now returns one member to the imperial parliament, elected by the freeholders and 10 householders, but the Duke of Northumberland has some influence. The limits of the parliamentary borough are considerably more extensive than the municipal, the former comprising an area of 13,463 acres, with a population, in 1861, of 5,140, while the municipal com- i only 1,635 acres, with a population of 2,790. The municipal borough is governed by a mayor, who is returning officer, four aldermen, and twelve councillors, i clerk, &c., and has a revenue of about 574. The . in 1861, consisted of 542 inhabited houses princi- pally built in one long street, with the hamlot of St. 1 i Mreet at one end. It contains the mayoralty recently built at tho expense of the Duke of iiumberland, in place of the old guildhall, which has born demolished to the great improvement of the i , public assembly rooms, a mechanics' institute, four ivings-bank, union poorhouse, and town gaol, ':> last is known as Southgate, and is the only one he three gate towers by which tho town was ntered now standing. Two large markets htely built, one for meat and provisions, tho for corn and light goods, the latter occupying the Hi old guildhall. No particular trade or manu- 1 on, but the town presents a respectable and business-like appearance, much business being done in agricultural produce and general trade for supply of surrounding district. The want of tho facility of railway communication has recently much diminished the importance of the town, and the population, in tho decennial period 1851 1861, declined by 607, being above one-fifth of the whole. It is an assize and petty sessions town and a polling-place for the county elec- tions. Launceston gives name to a Poor-law Union embracing nineteen parishes in Cornwall and two in Devonshire ; it is also the seat of a new County Court and superintendent registry districts, comprising tho same. Tho living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 116. The church, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, whose recumbent figure occupies a niche in the outer wall at the E. end, is a structure of the middle of the sixteenth century, built of square blocks of granite, each block being carved with figures, and having at the W. end a tower built of different ma- terials, and apparently of earlier date. A gratulatory dedication in Latin runs round tho outside, each letter of the inscription, surrounded by an heraldic shield, being carved on a separate stone. The church has a timber ceiling, and is otherwise rich in ornamental carved work ; it contains several interesting monuments of the Piper and Wise families. The church of St. Thomas the Apostle, in the adjoining parish, occupies tho site, and is partly built of the materials, of the ancient priory of St. Austin, which is said to have had communication by a subterranean passage with the castle of Launceston. In this church are a very ancient font and remains of some ancient fresco paintings. The Wesleyans, Reformed Wesleyans, Independents, and Bible Christians have places of worship. Tho parochial charities produce about 105 per annum, including 26, tho endowment of Queen Elizabeth's free grammar school, now not used, and 20 belonging to St. Leonard's Hospital, originally founded for lepers before the reign of Richard II. There are National and Sunday schools. In the vicinity of this ancient town are many interest- ing antiquities, including tho Norman gateway of tho old priory, which now forms the entrance to tho White Hart hotel, situated in Broad Street ; tho ruins of the castle above mentioned ; and Roman or British entrench- ments, where Roman coins and some coins of leather have been found. Saturday is market day. Fairs aro held on tho 26th January, first Thursday in March, 25th March, third Thursday in April, Whit-Monday, 6th July, and l"th November. LAUNCESTON-TARRANT. See TAHRANT, LADN- CESTON, co. Dorset. LAUNDE, an ext. par. place in tho hund. of East Goscoto, co. Leicester, 6 miles N.W. of Uppingham. Here are the remains of the chapel and burial-ground of an Austin priory founded in the reign of Henry I. by Richard Bassett, and given by Henry VIII. to his favourite, Thomas Cromwell. Its revenue at the Disso- lution was valued at 510 16s. 5d, Launde is a meet for the Cottesmore hounds. Stilton cheese is made here. LAUND, NEW and OLD BOOTH, tnshps. in the par. of Whalley, co. Lancaster, & miles N. of Burnley. They are situated near the Leeds canal and river Henburn. LAUNDITCH, a hund. in co. Norfolk, contains the pars, of Beeston, Beetley, East Bilney, Bittering-Parva, Brisley, Colkirk, Dunham (Great and Little), North Elmham, Great and Little Fransham, Gateley, Gressec- hall, Hoe, Horningtoft, Kempston, East and West Lexham, Litcham, Lougham, Mileham, Oxwiok, Pattcsley, Rougham, Seaming, Stanfield, Swanton- Morley, Tittleshall, Weasenham, Wellingham, Wend- ling, Whissonsett, Worthing, and part of East Dereham, comprising an area of 69,930 acres. LAUNE, or LANE, a small rivor flowing from Laune Lough, or Lower Lake of Killarney, in which it takes its rise, te the sea at Dingle Bay, co. Kerry, Ireland. LAUNTON, a par. in tho hund. of Plonghley, co. Oxford, 1J milo E. of Bicester, its post town, and 13 miles N.E. of Oxford. It is a station on tho London and North- Western railway. Tho village is small. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture.