Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/828

MERSEY ROAD. 820 MERTHYR-DOVAN. Strode. It is supposed to have been the residence of the Count of the Saxon Shore, or some other Roman officer of distinction, owing to the discovery of a tesselated pavement in 1730. It was frequently the landing place of the Danish pirates, who on one occasion were besieged here by Alfred the Great. It was given by the Confessor to St. Audouin's Monastery at Rouen, and at the Dissolution came to the D'Arcies, of St. Osyth. The surface is undulating and richly wooded. Near to West Mersea are two small islands, one of them called Cohmarsh. The trade in oysters has of late years much declined. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Rochester, val. 230. The church, dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul, is a neat edifice, with a tower containing five bells. The charities produce about 102, of which 90 go for church and causeway repairs. There is an endowed Church of England school. There are places of worship for the Wesleyans and Independents, to the latter of which a school-room is attached. The impropriate tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 500, and the vicarial for 230. MERSEY ROAD, a station on the Manchester, Gar- ston, and Liverpool railway, next to Garston. MERSEY, THE, a river in the N.W. of England, forming the boundary between the cos. of Cheshire and Lancashire, and second only to the Thames in commer- cial importance, being the channel by which vessels approach Liverpool, the second port in England. It is formed by the junction of the rivers Goyt and Thame, which unite their streams at Stockport ; and, after re- ceiving the waters of the Irwell, Bollin, and Weaver, falls into the sea a little below Liverpool, by way of the Victoria Channel, which has from four to twelve fathoms water between the Burbo and Formby Flats. At it's entrance, which is marked by the Black Rock Light, its channel is deep and narrow, but expanding, a little higher up, into a wide sandy estuary, the shores of which have been converted into spacious docks. [&e LIVER- POOL.] Several artificial cuts have been made to facilitate the navigation, so that small craft can ascend as far as Runcorn. MERSHAM, a par. in the hund. of Chart and Long- bridge, lathe of Shepway, co. Kent, 4 miles S.E. of Ash- ford, its post town, and Ijmile from the Smeeth railway station on the South-Easteru line. The village, which is small and wholly agricultural, is situated on the river Stour. The land is partly in hop-grounds, but the greater part arable and pasture, in nearly equal proportions. The South-Eastern railway passes through the western portion of the parish. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 630 10*. fid. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Canterbury, val. 555, in the patron, of the archbishop. The church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is a neat structure, with a tower at the S. side. It contains several monuments of the Hatch family. The parochial charities produce about 71 per annum, of which 10 go to the support of Dame Knatchbull's schools. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. The principal residence, called Hatch or Le-Hatch, has been in the possession of the Knatchbull family from the reign of Henry VIII. A fair for pedlery, &c., is held on the Friday in Whitsun-week. MERSTHAM, a par. in the second div. of the hund. of Reigate, co. Surrey, S~ miles N.E. of Reigate, its post town. It is a station on the South-Easteru railway. There is a tram railway to Wandsworth belonging to the Brighton Company. Pilgrim's Lane passes through on the way to Canterbury. There are some excellent quarries of stone called Reigate stone. The land is chiefly arable and meadow, with some fine orchards and gardens. At Feather's Inn is a well 210 feet deep. Lime is burnt here, and chalk marl dug. The Brighton railway intersects the parish. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 574. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Winchester, val. 476, in the patron, of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The church, dedicated to St. Catherine, was erected in the reign of Henry VI., and has a tower surmounted by a wooden spire. It contains some monuments of the Joliffe family, and an antique font. There are also four brasses of the Chue- bryggs, the earliest bearing date 1473. The charities share with Reigate. There is a subscription school for both sexes. MERSTON, a hmlt. in the par. of Shorne, hund. of Shamwell, lathe of Aylesford, co. Kent, 4 miles S.E. of Gravesend, its post town. The hamlet consists of a few labourers' cottages. This place is parochial in its eccle- siastical jurisdiction, but in other respects part of Shome. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Rochester, val. 90. The church, which is in ruins, is included within a plan- tation of about five acres, called Chapel-wood. In the vicinity are traces of ancient fortifications. MERSTON, a par. in the hund. of Box, rape of Chi- chester, co. Sussex, 3 miles S.E. of Chichester, its post town, and 2 S. of the Drayton railway station. The village, which is small, is situated on the Arundel and Portsmouth canal, and on the road from Chichester to Bognor. The bed of the above canal is dry and disused. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 260. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Chichester, val. 263, in the patron, of the lord chancellor. The church is of great antiquity. MERSTON, a deanery in co. Somerset. See MABSTON MAGNA. MERTHER, a par. in the W. div. of the hund. of Powder, co. Cornwall, 6 miles S. of Grampound, its post town, and 5 E. of Truro. The village, which is small, is situated on St. Clement's Creek, an inlet of the river Mopus, which is crossed by Trevilian Bridge, connecting this parish with that of Probus. Excellent building-stone is quarried in this parish. It is the spot where Sir Ralph Hopton surrendered to the parliamentary general, Fair- fax, in 1646. A brisk trade in done in coal, timber, and lime, the creek being navigable for coal and stone barges up to Trevilian Bridge. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 55, in the patron, of the parishioners. The church is an ancient structure, with a wooden bell-turret containing three hells. A portion of the communion plate bears the date 1576. There is an old register chest containing parish documents dating from 1688. There is a parochial school for both sexes, endowed with an annuity of 20. There is a chapel for the Wesleyans in Merther-lane. Hals, the county his- torian, had a seat at Tresawen, in this parish. There is a ferry from Malpas to Merther. In this parish is the entrance to the mansion of Tregothan, approached by a level carriage way 3w miles in length. It is at present the seat of Viscount Falmouth, who is lord of the manor and principal landowner. The impropriation belongs to the Dean and Canons of Christ Church, Oxford, whose tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 250. A fair is held on the second Monday in February. MERTHYR, a par. in the hund. of Elvet, co. Carmar- then, 4 miles W. of Carmarthen, its post town. The vil- lage, which is small, is situated on the river Cowin. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of St. David's, val. 158, in the patron, of the Prince of Wales. The church ia dedicated to St. Martin. MERTHYK, a hund. in co. Brecon, contains the pars, of Aberyscir, Battle, Llandefailogfach, Llandilo-vune, Llanfihangel-nant-brane, Merthyr-Cynog, Trallong, and Eirts of Garthbrengy, St. John the Evangelist, and lanthew. MERTHYR-CYNOG, a par. in the above hund., co. Brecon, 8 miles from Brecon, its post town. It is situated on the river llonddhu, a branch of the river Usk, among the mountains. The par. contains the chplry. of Dyfl'rin Honddu, and the hmlts. of Yscir-Vawr and Vechan. At Alltarnog is a camp, and two pillar crosses at Mynachty. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of St. David's, val. The parish church is dedicated to St. Cynog. There is also a district church at Dyffrin- Honddu, the living of which is a perpet. cur., val. G6. The parochial charitii s produce about 2 per annum. The Independents and Calviniatic Methodists have each a place of worship. MERTHYR-DOVAN, a par. in the hund. of Din is- Powis, co. Glamorgan, 6 miles N.W. of Cardiff, its post town. It is situated near the Bristol Channel. The