Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/836

MIDDLE. 828 MIDDLESBOROUGH. formerly belonging to "Wild" Kynaston, whoso cave is to be seen in Nescliffe Rock. The tithea have been com- muted for a rent-charge of 1,100. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Lichfield, val. 1,003. The church, dedi- cated to St. Peter, is a stone structure with an ancient tower, containing a clock and three bells. The chancel, which was restored in 1855, has a stained window, and an old brass, bearing date 1564. There is also a district church at Hadnall, the living of which is a perpet. cur., val. 72. The parochial charities produce about 92 per annum. There is a parochial school for both sexes, chiefly supported by the rector. Earl Brownlow is lord of the manor. MIDDLE, a hmlt. in the par. of Ystradyfodwg, bund, of Miskin, co. Glamorgan, S miles S.W. of Merthyr- Tydfil. " MIDDLE, or ST. ANDREW'S, a par. in the city of Glasgow, co. Lanark, Scotland. See GLASGOW. MIDDLE-ASTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Steeple- Aston, bund, of Wootton, co. Oxford, 1 mile N. of Steeple- Aston, and miles N. of Westbury. The township contains only two or three farmhouses, and a few cot- ' tages. The greater part of the common is now enclosed. There is a fire-engine society, the engines being sta- tioned at Steeple-Aston. There is a place of worship for the Wesleyans. MIDDLEBERE, a hmlt.. in the par. of Holy Trinity, co. Dorset, near Wareham. MIDDLEBIE, a par. in the district of Annandale, co. Dumfries, Scotland. It comprises the vils. of Eaglesfleld, Kirtlebridge, Watersbeck, and the ancient pars, of Car- ruthers and Pennorscugh. It extends in length about 9 miles S.W., with an extreme breadth of 4J, and is bounded by the pars, of Fundcrgarth, Langholm, Half- Morton, Kirkpatrick-Fleming, Annan, and Haddam. The surface is moderately even, though along the centre and to the N.E. are considerable elevations. Red sand- stone and limestone abound. The soil chiefly consists of stiff and loamy clay, and above one-fourth of the land is in a good state of cultivation. The parish is traversed by the road from Glasgow to Carlisle, and by the main trunk of the Caledonian railway. The village of Mid- dlebie is situated on the river Kirtle, 6 miles N.E. of Annan, and 3 miles from Ecclefechan. It has a station at Kirtlebridge on the Caledonian railway. Here was the Roman station Blatum Bnlgium, also a middle station between Netherby and Castleover in Eskdalemuir. A portion of the inhabitants are employed in cotton weaving. This par. is in the presb. of Annan and synod of Dum- fries. The minister has a stipend of 219. The parish church was erected in 1821. At Waterbeck is an United Presbyterian church. There are two parochial schools, also a circulating library. Dr. Currie, of Liverpool, author of " The Life of Burns," was born in this parish. Near the church are traces of a Roman camp, in which Roman coins have been found. MIDDLE-CHURCH, in Paisley, a par. in the district of Renfrew, Upper ward, co. Renfrew, Scotland. See PAISLEY. MIDDLE CHURCH, a par. in the town and co. of Perth, Scotland. See PERTH. MIDDLE-CLAYDON, a par. in the hund. of Ashen- don, co. Bucks. See CLAYDON, MIDDLE, and the like, for other places, with this prefix. MIDDLE DROVE, a station on the Wisbeach and Lynn branch of the Great Eastern railway, 5 miles from Wisbeach. MIDDLEHAM, a par. and post town in the wap. of West Hang, North Riding co. York, 2 miles S. of Ley- Durn railway station, 9 W. of Bedale, and 10 S.W. of Richmond. It is situated on the S. side of the river Ure, and near Middleham Moor, where many first-class horses have been reared and trained for the field and the race-course. Middleham formerly belonged to Kilpatrick the Dane, and has the ruins of a castle, built by Robert Fitz-Ranulph. The remains of this once-imposing edi- fice stand upon a rocky eminence near the town, and comprise the Norman keep, surrounded by a quadran- gular building, measuring 210 feet by 175, and flanked by a square tower at each angle. In it the great Earl of Warwick kept Edward IV. as his prisoner, till the king, having eifected his escape, obtained the decisive battle of Barnet, in which the Earl was slain, and tho castle forfeited to the king, who bestowed it on hio brother Richard Duke of Gloucester, whose son Edward, afterwards Prince of Wales, was born in it. The village, formerly a market town, is built on a gentle eminence rising from the river Ure, and is said to have derived its name from its situation in the centre of a number of hamlets. It is well lighted with gas, and contains many neat residences. The petty sessions for the wapentake of West Hang are held here, as also a court-leet, annually, at the White Swan Inn. Wool-combing affords em- ployment to a few persons, but the majority are engaged in agriculture- The living forms a deanery of itself, and is a royal peculiar, valued in the king's books at 15 9s. 4 Jrf., but the title is in future to be discontinued. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Ripon, val. 400, in the patron, of the crown. The church, dedicated to SS. Mary and Alkeld, is an ancient edifice with an em- battled tower, containing six bells. The church has some stained windows recently inserted, also several mural tablets, and a brass, bearing date 1727. The church was mad* collegiate by King Richard III. in 1476 for a dean, sub-dean, and six canons. The charities produce about 29 10s. per annum. There is a Church of England school for both sexes, built in 1837 by volun- tary contributions. Also a Church Sunday-school. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists have places of wor- ship. Colonel Thomas Wood is lord of the manor and principal landowner. Fairs are held on 30th March and on the 6th and two following days of November for horses, cattle, and sheep, this last being one of the largest fairs in the N. of England. MIDDLEHAM, BISHOP'S, co. Durham. See BlSHOp's-MlDDLEIIAM. MIDDLE-HILL, a hmlt. in the par. of Box, co. Wilts, 4 miles S.W. of Corsham. MIDDLEHOPE, a tnshp. in the par. of Diddlebury, hund. of Munslow, co. Salop, 4 miles S.E. of Church- Stretton. It is situated under Wenlock-Edge. MIDDLEMARSH, a tythg. in the par. of Mintern- Magna, hund. of Cerne, co. Dorset, 3 miles N. of Cerne- Abbas, and 12 N.W. of Dorchester. It had formerly a seat of the Abbots of Cerne, and subsequently of the Napier family. MIDDLE-MEAD, a hmlt. in the par. of Little Bad- dow, co. Essex, 5 miles E. by N. of Chelmsford. MIDDLENEY, a tythg. in the par. of Drayton, hund. of Abdick, co. Somerset, 2J miles S.W. of Langport. It is situated on the small river Isle. MIDDLE QUARTER, a tnshp. in the par. of Kirk- Linton, or Kirk-Levington, ward of Eskdale, co. Cum- berland, 4 miles S.E. of iongtown. It is situated near the river Line. MIDDLE-QUARTER, a tnshp. in the par. of Kirkby- Ireleth, hund. of Lonsdale North of the Sands, co. Lan- caster, 5 miles N.W. of Ulverstone. It is a considerable village, situated near the river Dudden. MIDDLESBOROUGH, a par.,' seaport, and market town, and municipal borough, in the W. div. of the lib. of Langbaurgh, in the North Riding co. York, 3J miles N.E. of Stockton and 1 from Redcar. It is a principal station on the Stockton and Darlington railway, being connected with the main line by a short branch of 4 milea, which terminates in a spacious dep6t and a harbour for shipping coal. It is situated at the river Tees' mouth, and is bounded by the North Sea, with a view eastward of the range of hills, including Roseberry Topping. The par. contains the tnshp. of Linthorpe, with the hmlts. of Airsholme and Newport, also the Port of Cleveland. It had formerly St. Hilda's Benedictine Cell to Whitby Abbey, founded by Robert de Bruce in the reign of Henry I. In 1801 the town of Middlesborough had but a population of twenty-five, which, in 1831, had increased to o'ne hundred and fifty-four, and from that period it has so rapidly increased, that the population at the pre- sent time is over 14,000. The discovery of tho iron-