Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/595

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LEWESDON. 587 LEWSTON. South Mailing parochial school. The Baptists, Unita- rians, Society of Friends, Wesleyans, and Independents, have places of worship. The Westgate meeting-house was formerly a seat of the Gorings, and another is tha burial-place of William Huntingdon, S.S., or " sinner saved." Dr.Mantell first discovered in the chalk stratum on which this town stands the fossil remains of the megalosaurus, plesiosaurus, and other extinct lizards. Near the priory stood St. James's hospital, and at Glynd Bridge are traces of a Roman ford. Part of the town walls still remain, and there are extensive ruins of the old Norman castle, with its gateway of the time of Edward III., and double keep. This last is now fitted up as a museum of antiquities for the Sussex Archaeo- logical Society. Lewes is the head of a Poor-law Union, and the seat of new County Court and superintendent registry districts. The county court is held monthly at the shirehall. The newspapers published in the town are the Sussex Advertiser on Tuesday ; Sussex dyricultural Express, twice a week, on Tuesday and Saturday ; and the Lewes Times, Easlbourne Chronicle, and Hailsham Observer, on Wednesday. At Mount Harry, where the battle of Lewes was fought, is the racecourse, with a commodious stand, built in 1772. It was formerly one of the finest four-mile courses in the kingdom, but is now reduced to 2j miles. The races ily take place in March and August. A cattle show tikes place about Christmas. Tuesday is market day for corn and hops, and every alternate Tuesday for sheep, cattle, and pigs. Fairs are held on Whit-Tuesday, 6th May for horses, 26th July for wool, and 21st September for Southdown sheep, when last is very extensive. LEWESDON, a hill in co. Dorset, 2 miles W. of Bea- minster. It serves with Pillesdon Pen Hill as a land- mark for sailors, who term them the Cow and Calf. LEWESOG WITH TREFYDD - BYCHAIAN', a tnslip. in the par. of Llanrhaidr-in-Kimnerch, co. Den- bigh, 3 miles S.E. of Denbigh. LEWESTON, an ext. par. place in the hund. of Shorborne, Sherborno div. of co. Dorset, 3 miles S. of Sherborne. It is a meet for Mr. Farquharson's hounds. Leweston House is the principal residence. LEWIS, a district of Long Island, or Outer Hebrides, Scotland, forming the northern division, which is sepa- rated from Harris on the southern district by a ridge of lolly mountains, but the appellation of Lewis is also commonly applied to the whole island. The Harris district is in the co. Inverness, while that of Lewis is in the co. Ross, and comprises the pars, of Barvas, Locks, Stornoway, and Uig. The only town is Stornoway, but there are several villages. The surface of the country is less rugged than that of Harris, and attains a height at the mountain of Suaneval of about 2,700 feet. The ipcrficial extent of the district is 561,200 acres, about three-quarters of which is moor or waste, and tie rest rocky. There are numerous bays and inlets on the coast, where quantities of shell-fish are found ; and the faheries of herring and cod are prosecuted with success. The streams abound with trout and salmon. The dis- trict was a few years ago purchased by Sir James Matheson, Bart., for 190,000 ; and much has been done iat gentleman in the improvement of agriculture, the extension of manufactures and fisheries, and other- wise rendering the place more flourishing. LEWISBURGH, or LOUISBURGH, an extensive in co. Mayo, Ireland, near the town of Louisburgh. It contains above 14,000 acres, and is drained by a stream of the same name falling into Clew Bay. LEWISHAM, a par. in the hund. of Blacltheath, lathe if .Sutton-at-Hone, co. Kent, 1 mile from Greenwich, > miles S.E. of London. It has stations on the ! and Jlid Ivoflt railways. It is situated on

ver Ravensbourne, and on the high road to Seven-

oaks and Tunbridge. It was anciently written Levesham, the dwelling among the meadows." The which is of large extent, contains the whole of nham, Forest Hill, Brockley, Loampit Hill, Loafs -lid the greater portion of the hmlt. of Blackheath. It formerly had a Benedictine priory, a cell to St. Peter's Abbey, Ghent, to which it was given by Elthruda, Alfred's niece ; hut on the suppression of alien priories in the reign of Henry V., was transferred to the convent of Sheen. At the dissolution of monasteries it was seized by Henry VIII., and finally became the property of the Legges, earls of Dartmouth, from whence they take the inferior title of viscount. The village, which is situated on the river Ravensbourne, extends about 1 mile along the high road, and consists principally of one street. There aro many good shops in the village, and tho neighbourhood is thickly studded with gentlemen's seats and villas. It is lighted with gas, and is supplied with excellent water from a stream which rises at the upper end of the village and passes through it. There is a police station, and petty sessions aro held at Groom's Hill, Greenwich. There aro some brick fields and lime- stone quarries. Lewisham is the seat of a superinten- dent registry, but belongs to Greenwich, and is a new County Court district. It is also tho head of a Poor-law Union, comprising the following parishes : Charlton, Eltham, Kidbrook, Lee, Lewisham, Mottingham, and Plumstead. The poorhouse, situated in tho village, has accommodation for 200 inmates. The soil is extremely fertile, consisting of clay, gravel, and sand. There aro marl and limestone quarries. Tho surface is well wooded. The Surrey canal passes through tho parish. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of London, val. with Dartmouth chapel annexed, 1,100. The parish church, dedicated to St. Mary, and rebuilt in 1774, has a Corinthian por- tico on tho S. side, and a square tower at the W. end, containing a clock and a good peal of bells. It sustained considerable injury from a fire in 1830, but has been restored. In the interior are tombs of the Petries, by Banks, and of Dean Stanhope, formerly vicar, with several others. In addition to the parish church, there are three district churches All Saints, at Blackheath, St. Bartholomew's, at Sydenham, and Christ Church, at Forest Hill, the livings of which are all perpet. curs. * varying in val. from 300 to 100. There are also chapels-of-ease at Southend and Sydenham. The cha- rities produce about 692 per annum, of which 343 go to Colfe's free grammar and reading schools, with exhibitions at either of tho universities. Here is a British school for both sexes, also Congregational and infant schools. The Wesleyans, Independents, and Bap- tists have each a place of worship. The Earl of Dart- mouth is lord of tho manor. Bishop Duppa, who wrote part of tho " Eikon Basilike," was born in this parish. LEWISTOWN, EAST and WEST, hmlts. in the par. of Urquhart, co. Inverness, Scotland, 13 miles N.W. of Fort Augustus. They are situated near Loch Ness. LEWKNOR, a hund. in co. Oxford. It includes part of the Chiltern range of hills, and is traversed by the Roman way Ickuield Street. It contains the pars, of Adwell, Aston-Rowant, Britwell, Salome, Chinnor, Cro- well, Emmington, Lewknor, Sydenham, Stokenchurch, and part of Kingsey, comprising an area of 19,780 acres. LEWKNOR, a par. in the above hund., co. Oxford, 4 miles S.E. of Tetsworth, its post town, 5 8. of Thame, and 2J N.E. of Watlington. It is situated under the Chiltern hills, and contains the tnshps. of Lewknor- Uphill and Postcombe. The village is small, and wholly agricultural. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Oxford, val. 280, in the patron, of All Souls' College, Oxford. The parish church of St. Margaret is an ancient struc- ture, with a square tower containing a clock and five bells. The interior of the church contains a sculp- tured font and an effigy in stone, and a brass of a priest, bearing date 1390. It is the burial-place of the Scroops and Fanes, whose mansion and estate of Wormsley are partly in this parish. There is a district church at Cadmore End, the living of which is a perpet. cur., val. 150, in the patron, of the Bishop of Oxford (two turns) and All Saints College (one turn). Also a chapel- of-ease at Ashampstead. There is a National school for children of both sexes. Sir Richard Joddrell is lord of tho manor. LEWSTOlf, an ext. par. place in the hund. of Sher- borne, co. Dorset, 4 miles S. of Shorborno.