Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/815

MEIGLE. 807 MELBOURNE. by 4 broad, and was incorporated with Killery until 1830. The surface includes a large proportion of bog and mountain. Slieve Gullion rises to the height of 1,893 feet in the W. The roads from Newry to Forkhill and from Camlough to Dundalk pass through the parish. The living is a cur. in the dioc. of Armagh. The church was erected at the expense of the lato Board of First Fruits in 1831. The Roman Catholic chapel is united to that of Forkhill. There are five daily schools. Killery and Hawthorn are the principal residences Here is a dispensary within the Newry Poor-law Union. Petty sessions are held in the village. Abbey ruins are in the neighbourhood. MEIGLE, a par. in the district of Perth-Eastern, co. Perth, Scotland. It contains a vil. of its own name, and is bounded by the co. of Forfar, and by the pars. of Cupitr-Angus and Alyth. It is about 5$ miles in length, with a breadth varying from 1 mile to 2J miles. The surface is moderately even, with a few gentle eminences. The soil is principally of a rich dark-coloured loam, and the land in an excellent state of cultivation. The village, which lies 5 miles N.E. of Cupar-Angus and 1 mile N. of the junction station on the Scottish Midland railway, is situated on Meigle Water, near the confluence of the rivers Isla and Dean. It formerly belonged to Cupar Abbey, and was a seat of the bishops of Dunkeld. There was a market on Wednesday, which is now discontinued. Red sandstone is quarried. This par. is the seat of a presb. in the synod of Angus and Mearns, and in the patron, of the crown. The minister has a stipend of 237. The parish church was erected about 1780, and contains two aisles of the old church. In the churchyard are some ancient and curious sculp- tured stones, said to commemorate Vanoria, or Guenever, the faithless wife of King Arthur, but the inscriptions are so defaced that they are not legible. There are also a Free church, an Episcopalian chapel, and a parochial school. There are several residences in the parish, among which may bo mentioned Belmont Castle, the seat of Lord Wharncliffe, of modern construction, with a tower of more ancient date. In its grounds, which are extensive and well wooded, is a tumulus called " Belli- duff," where, according to tradition, Macbeth fell in his fatal encounter with Macduff. At some distance from this spot is a huge block of granite 20 tons in weight, which bears the name of Macbeth's Stone. Annual fairs for cattle and horses are held on the last Wednesday in June and October. MEIGLE HILL, in the par. of Galashiels, co. Selkirk, Scotland. It is situated near the border of Roxburgh- shire, and is 1,480 feet in height. MEIKLEBEN, one of the Lennox hills, co. Stirling, Scotland. It is situated close to the Campsie and Kil- syth ranges, of which it is a spur. It rises to a height of 1,500 feet above the level of the sea, and serves as a landmark from the Frith of Forth. MEIKLE-FARNESS, a decayed vil. in the par. and CO. of Cromarty, Scotland. MEIKLE FERRY, crosses Dornoeh Frith, on the borders of Ross and Sutherland, Scotland, 4 miles N.W. of Tain. It is a station on the Inverness and Perth and Inverness and Aberdeen] unction railway. MJ.IKLEIIOLMSIDE BURN, a small stream of co. Dumfries, Scotland, traversing the south-western boun- diirv ('( .Moffat parish to the river Annan. MEIKLE LOCH, a lake in the par. of Urquhart, co. Inverness, Scotland, 6 miles W. of Loch Ness. It nds about Imile in length, by half a mile in breadth. It is situated in a well-wooded spot. ME1KLEOUR, a vil. in the par. of Caputh, co. h, Scotland, 6 miles W. .of Cupar-Angus. It is sitiiutwl near Dunkeld. Numerous cattle markets are In Il here during the year, also annual fairs on the fourth Fridays in June and October, the 2nd July, and the third Friday in August. JIKIKLK-KOE, one of the Shetland islands, coast of ind. It is in the par. of Delting, and is about 2J < in circumference. It is situated S.E. of St. Magnus Bay. MEIKLEWARTHILL, a hmlt. in the par. of Rayne, co. Aberdeen. Scotland, 6 miles N.W. of Old Mel- drum. An annual cattle market is held here about Whitsuntide. MEIKLEWOOD, co. Stirling, Scotland, at Gar- gunnock. It forms part of an extensively wooded forest, and has a heronry. MEIN WATER, a small river of the district of Annandale, co. Dumfries, Scotland. It rises above Middlebie, and flows 6 miles S.W. to the river Annan, near Hoddam. MELAAN, an islet in Kenmare Bay, co. Kerry, Ire- land, 1 mile W. by 8. of Lamb-Head. Its cliffs are extremely rugged, and are a favourite haunt of the Pooka, or Irish Puck. MELAI, a tushp. .in the par. of Llanfairtalhaiarn, CO. Denbigh, 7 miles S.W. of Abergele. MELAY, a tnshp. in the par. of Aspatria, ward of Allerdale-below-Derwent, co. Cumberland, 8 miles N.W. of Cockermouth. It is joined with Hayton. MELBECKS, a tnshp. in the par. of Grinton, wap. of West Gilling, North Riding co. York, 2 miles E. of Muker, and 14 W. by S. of Richmond, its post town. It is situated on the river Swale, and contains Gunnerside and ten other hmlts. The living is a perpet. cur. * in the dioc. of Ripon, val. 150, in the patron, of the Vicar of Grinton. The church is a modern structure. MELBOURNE, a par. and small market town in the hund. of Repton, co. Derby, 8 miles S.E. of Derby, its post town, and 6 N.E. of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. It is situated near the rivers Derwent and Trent, and com- prises the tnshp. of King's-Newtown. The village is a polling-place for the county elections. It belonged to the crown at Domesday Survey, and came to the Beau- champs and Lancasters, who had a castle, in which John, Duke of Bourbon, who had been made prisoner at the battle of Agincourt, was imprisoned in 1415. The castle was dismantled in 1460 by order of Queen Margaret, but was subsequently restored, and traces of it are still visible. The savings-bank and mechanics' institution are held in a building erected in 1854. The manu- facture of lace gloves is carried on, and building-stone is extensively quarried, and also a fine kind of stone used for sharpening scythes. The surface is hilly, and partly in common. The soil is generally a rich loam, alternated with clay. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1787. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Lichfield, val. 179, in the patron, of the bishop of the diocese. The church, which is dedi- cated to St. Michael, is an ancient structure, with a tower containing four bells. The interior of the church is remarkable for the circular arches and zigzag ornaments peculiar to the Norman style oi' architecture. It contains an old pillared font, and ancient marble monuments of the Hardinge family. The parochial charities produce about 38 per annum, of which 20 goes to Lady Hastings' school, also an additional annuity of 10 by Viscountess Palmerston. There are placeb of worship for the Independents, Wcsleyans, Methodists, General Baptists, and Swedenborgians. Melbourne Hall, for- merly the episcopal palace of the bishops of Carlisle, was the residence of the late Lord Melbourne, and King's-Newtown Hall was the seat of the Hardinges, ancestors of Lord Hardinge. The Marquis of Hastings is lord of the manor. The family of Lamb take from this place the title of viscount. Saturday is market day. MELBOURNE, a par. in the hund. of Armingford, co. Cambridge, 3 miles N.E. of Royston, and 10J from Cambridge. The village, which is large, is chiefly agricultural. The soil is of various quality. The manufacture of straw-plait is carried on. An En- closure Act was obtained in 1839. The appropriate tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 860, and the vicarial for 220. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Ely, val. 250, in the patron, of the dean and chapter. The church, dedicated to All Saints, an ancient structure built by Henry VII., contains several monuments to the Birch family. The register