Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/895

MOEPETH-CASTLE. 887 MORTHOE. is an imposing mass of building, and contains the chapel, the sessions-house or hall for county business, in which the Easter sessions for the county are held, and other offices. The union poorhouse is a plain building, situated in Newgate-street. The old market- house was on pillars ; and in Oldgate-street stands the clock-tower, containing the fire-engine, and a peal of musical bells, which, in consequence of the church being at some distance from the town, are used for the ordi- nary parochial purposes. The county asylum, situated in a commanding spot overlooking the valley of the Wansbeck, is a spacious structure, not yet completed. There are, besides, four commercial branch banks, savings-bank, a dispensary, gas-works, and the mecha- nics' institute, situated in Scotch-yard, near the market- place, which has a library of 2,700 volumes. The principal employments are in the weaving of flannel, corn-mills, malting, tanning, brewing, brick and tile making, saw-mills, iron and brass founding, rope and twine making, market gardening, and manufacturing agricultural implements. Although the manufactures are not of much importance, the town enjoys a flourishing general trade, being situated in the midst of a rich agricultural district. Until recently the largest cattle market in England, except Smithfield, was held here for the supply of the populous districts of the Tyne and Wear, but this market has been removed to New- castle, as more commodious. The petty sessions for the county, and the spring quarter sessions, are held at the new court-house. Morpeth gives name to a deanery in the archdeac. of Lindisfarne, and dioc. of Durham. The living is a rect. * with the perpet. cur. of TJlghain annexed, in the dioc. of Durham, val. 1,611. The parish church, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, is a plain stone edifice of the 14th century, situated on an eminence called Kirk Hill, about a mile from the town. Besides the parish church there is the new church of St. James the Great, erected in 1846, at a cost of .7,000, and situated in Newgate-street. The rector is the incumbent. The Roman Catholic church, dedicated to St. Robert, is situated in Oldgate-street, and is adorned with a spire and several painted windows. There are places of worship for Presbyterians, Independents, and vVesleyans ; also National and infant schools adjoining St. James's church in Newgate-street, and borough schools for girls and infants in Well-way. The free grammar school, founded by Edward VI. in 1552, was until recently held in the old chantry chapel, near the bridge; but since the termination, in 1857, of the Chancery suit " the Attorney-General versus Trevelyan," which lasted for about 150 years, a new schoolhouse, with class-rooms and lecture-rooms adjoining, and In :nl master's residence, has been erected in a situ- ation overlooking the town, and was opened in 1859. The school has an extensive playground of nearly 4 acres. The principal antiquities are the remains of the castle, with its entrance gate mentioned above, and traces of a Cistercian abbey at Newminster, founded in 1 1 38 by Ranulph do Merlay, the site of which, at the Dissolution, was given to the Brandling family. Turner, the botanist, Gibson, who wrote a herbal, and Morrison, the missionary and eminent Chinese scholar, were natives ; and Horsley, author of " Britannia Bomana," was a minister here. The races, formerly held at Cotting- wood, have been discontinued. Market day is Wednesday. Fairs are held on the 25th March and 25th October for cattle and horses, and on the Wednesday and two follow- ing days before Whitsuntide, and the Wednesday before the 22nd July; also a statute fair for hiring servants on the Wednesday before Martinmas. MORPETH-CASTLE, a tnshp. in the par. of Mor- peth, E. div. of Castle ward, co. Northumberland. It is situated within the limits of the borough, and contains the hmlts. of Catchburn, Parkhouses, and Stobhill, also the site of the old castle. MOUUKI.L-ROOTHING, a hmlt. in the par. of White Roothing, hund. of Dunmow, co. Essex. It was fninir rly a distinct parish, but is now a hamlet united to White Roothing. MORREY, a vil. in the par. of Yoxhall, co. Stafford, 5 miles E. of Rugeley. MORREY, THE, a tnshp. in the par. of Adderley, co. Salop, 5 miles N.W. of Market-Drayton. MORRICK. See MOKWICX, co. Northumberland. MORRIDGE, a tnshp. in the par. of Ipstones, N. div. of Totmonslow hund., co. Stafford, 4 miles N. of Cheadle. MORRISTON, a vil. in the par. and hund. of Swan- sea, co. Glamorgan, 2 miles N. of Swansea, within which borough it is situated. It lies on Swansea Bay, near the mouth of the river Taw, and takes its name from the Morris family, by whom it was founded. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the copper works and potteries. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of St. David's, val. 90. The church is a modern edifice. MORRISTOWNBILLER, a par. in the bar. of Counell, co. Kildare, prov. of Leinster, Ireland, con- taining part of the town of Newbridge, which is its post town. The par. is 3J miles long, and its greatest breadth is 2J miles. The surface, lying near the Bog of Allen, comprises a considerable portion of swamp. The arable soil is generally good. The river Lifl'ey traces part of the E. boundary, and the road from Dublin to Limerick passes through the parish. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of Kildare, val. with another, 190, in the patron, of the crown. The church was a gift from the late Board of First Fruits in 1828. There are a Roman Catholic chapel and two day schools. Moore- field is the chief residence. MORROWE, a hmlt. in the par. and hund. of Wis- beach, Isle of Ely, oo. Cambridge, 6 miles S.W. of Wisbeach. MORSTON, a par. in the hund. of Holt, co. Norfolk, 1J mile W. of Blakeney, 6 miles E. of Wells, and the same distance N.E. of Walsingham. Cloy is its post town. The village, which is small and wholly agricul- tural, is situated near the coast, and has a coastguard station represented by a lieutenant and six men. A' portion of the land is marshy, and the parish is bounded on the N. by the harbour of Blakeney. The greater part of the land is arable, but there are more than 400 acres of saltmarsh, and about 80 acres of unenclosed common. The tithes have been commuted for a rent- charge of 280 8. The living is a rect. annexed to that of Stiffkey, in the dioc. of Norwich. The church, dedicated to All Saints, has a square embattled tower. The chancel is separated from the nave by a carved screen, the panelings of which are painted with por- traits of the Apostles. The Marquis of Townshend is lord of the manor and principal landowner. The paro- chial charities produce about 4 per annum. MORTE BAY, on the coast of Devonshire, a little to the N. of Barnstaple Bay. It is about 3 miles wide, and has anchorage in 5 fathoms water, but its approach is obstructed by the Morte Stone rock, with a dangerous tide-race. MORTHEN, a hmlt. in the par. of Whiston, West Riding co. York, 4 miles S.E. of Rotherham. MORTHOE, a par. in the hund. of Braunton, co. Devon, 6 miles S.W. of Ufracombe, its post town. The village, which is small and straggling, is situated near Morte- Point, on Morte Bay, and is wholly agricultural. The par. includes the hmlts. of Osborough, Shates- borough, and Eastacott. Off the coast is a large isolated rock, called Morte Stone, from the numerous shipwrecks it has occasioned. The substratum contains a variety of slaty stone, which is quarried for building purposes. The appropriate tithes have been commuted for a rent- charge of 380, besides 30 acres of glebe ; the vicarial glebe comprises 16 acres, valued at 20 per annum. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 128, in the patron, of the dean and chapter, who are the impropriators. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient edifice, with a tower containing three bells. The inte:4or of the church has an altar-tomb of Sir William de Tracey, one of Thomas-a-Beckct's mur- derers, who, after that event, founded a chantry here,