Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/456

SHENTON. 444 SHEPSCOMB. perpet, cur., val. 130. The church is an ancient edifice. The Wesleyans have a chapel at Little Hay. The paro- chial charities produce about 125 per annum. There is a National school recently built. At Upper Stonnall was formerly a castle or fortification, the site of which is still called Castle Field, and near the hamlet of Chester- field was the site of the Roman station Etocetum. A fair is held on the last Monday in February, chiefly for cattle, and the wakes on the Sunday before St. Peter's Day. SHENTON, a chplry. in the par. of Market-Bosworth, hund. of Spnrkenhoe, co. Leicester, 5 miles N.W. of N uneaten, its post town, and 2j S.W. of Market-Bos- worth. The village, which is of small extent, is situate on the river Sence, near the Ashby-de-la-Zouch canal. The inhabitants are wholly agricultural. The living is a cur. annexed to the reel, of Market-Bosworth, in the dioc. of Peterborough. The church is of great anti- quity, and contains numerous brasses. The charities produce about 5 per annum. Shenton Hall is an ancient mansion. Major H. Wollaston is lord of tho manor. SHEPHALL, or SHEEPHALL, a par. in the hund. of Cashio, or lib. of St. Alban's, co. Herts, 2J miles miles S.E. of Stevenage, its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is wholly agricultural. Nearly two-thirds of the land are arable, and the remainder pasture and woodland. The impropriation belongs to the crown. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Roches- ter, val. 306, in the patron, of the lord chancellor. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient edifice with a turret containing two bells. The parochial cha- rities produce about 26 per annum, distributed among the poor. The Bury is the principal residence. SHEPHERD'S BUSH, a vil. in the par. of Kensing- ton, Kensington div. of Ossulstone hund., co. Middlesex, 1 mile N. W. of Kensington, and 5 miles W. of St. Paul's. It has a station on the Metropolitan railway. This place, which has much increased within the last few years, contains many villas and detached houses sur- rounded by gardens. In 1850 the church, dedicated to St. Stephen, was erected here by the Messrs. Bird. It has it spire 150 feet high, and contains several painted windows. SHEPHERDSWELL. See SIBBEHTSWOLD, co. Kent. SHEPLEY, a tnshp. and chplry. in the par. of Kir- burton, upper div. of Agbrigg wap., West Riding co. York, 7 miles S.E. of Huddersfield, its post town, and 6 N.W. of Peniston. It is a station on the Sheffield and H uddersfield railway. The village is situated in a valley near the mouth of the river Dearne. A portion of the inhabitants are engaged in the woollen mills. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Ripon, in the patron, of the Vicar of Kirkburton. The church is dedicated to St. Paul, and was erected in 1848. There is a British and Foreign school, in which a Sunday school is also held. The Methodist New Connexion have a place of worship. Sir J. Radcliffe is lord of the manor. SHEPPERTON, a hmlt. in the par. of Abbotsham, co. Devon, 2 miles W. of Bideford. SHEPPERTON, a par. in the hund. of Spelthorne, co. Middlesex, 2 miles S.E. of Chertsey, its post town, and 4 S.E. of Staines. It is the terminus of the Thames valley branch of the London and South Western rail- way. The village, which is considerable, is situated on the banks of the Thames, and is chiefly agricultural. In Domesday Survey Shepperton is spelled Scepertone, and was at that time held by Westminster Abbey, but afterwards came to the Beauchamps. It is a resort for anglers. The par. comprises the hmlt. of Lower Halli- ford. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of London, val. .'409. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas. The parochial charities produce about 1 per annum. There is a National school for both sexes. There are ruins of a seat at Wall Closes. An oaken canoe 12 feet in length was discovered near the river bank in 1812, about seven feet from the surface. SHEPPEY, ISLE OF, a lib. having separate juris- diction in the lathe of Scray, co. Kent. It lies opposito the Nore, on the N. coast of Kent, from which it is separated by the river Swale on the S., and is bounded on the W. by the Thames and Medway, and on the N. and E. by the North Sea. Although considered as one island, it is formed by the three islands of Sheppey, Elmley, and the Isle-of-Hasty, comprising the pars, of Queenborough, Minster-in-Sheppey, Eastchurch, Leys- down, Warden, Isle of Elmley, and St. Thomas' Harty Isle, and the rapidly rising town of Sheerness, in the par. of Minster. It was called by the Saxons Sceapige, or " The Isle of Sheep," and still retains its fame for the excellence of its mutton. It was frequently ravaged by the Danes, in the Oth century, whose tumuli and "coterels" remain to this day scattered along the coasts, which are in general low and marshy, especially towards the S., where they are defended with strong sea walls and dykes, but towards the N. the cliffs attain an eleva- tion of 90 feet, and extend for about six miles in length. The island is rather more than 10 miles long from E. to W., and 4 miles in breadth, with an area of about 20,000 acres. The surface is marshy, consisting chiefly of low rich pasture, with some arable clay lands, except in the southern part, where it is traversed by a ridge of low hills. The corn crops are abundant, but of wood and trees there is a dearth. The chief crops are wheat, beans, oats, clover, and seeds. The island breed of sheep is much prized, as is also the breed of small horses. Productive oyster beds extend along the coast from Sheerness to Milton, and form a staple article of export for the London market. The population of the district in 1861 was 18,494, of which number 12,015 reside in Sheerness. The mineral productions consist chiefly of septaria or argillaceous limestone, from which Parker's Roman cement is made, and iron pyrites or copperas stones, which latter are collected in heaps upon the beach, from the falling cliffs, and are carried away in vessels to the copperas works near Sheerness and Queenborough, originally established by Matthias Falconer, a native of Brabant, as early as 1579. The fossil remains are nu- merous, throwing much light on the geologic formation of the London basin ; they comprise upwards of 700 different species, chiefly Crustacea and reptiles, includ- ing the crocodilus Spenceri, and numerous specimens of fossil fruits. The Cant sand lying to the N. of the island, stietches to the Nore light. The means of communication was formerly by three primitive ferries, two for foot passengers, and one called the King's ferry free for travellers and horses, but not for car- riages ; a great alteration has, however, been recently effected in the mode of transit by the construction of a railway viaduct across the bed of the Swale, and the establishment of steamboat communication with Lon- don, Gravesend, Southend, and other places. Sheppey gives name to a Poor-law Union, comprising the parishes above named ; also to a superintendent registry district. SHEPPY. See SHEEPWAY, co. Somerset. SHEPRETH, a par. in tho hund. of Wetherley, co. Cambridge, 5 miles N. of Royston, its post town. It is a station on the Great Northern railway. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on a branch of the river Cam, and is chiefly agricultural. Shepreth was formerly held by Chatteriz nunnery. The soil is of a clayey and gravelly nature, upon a subsoil of chalk. The great tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of .306, and the vicarial for 91. The im- propriate glebe comprises 185 acres, and the vicarial 12 acres. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Ely, val. 97. The church, dedicated to All Saints, contains monuments of the Layer family. The parochial charities produce about 14 per annum, exclusive of allotments. There is a free school for both sexes. The Independents have a place of worship. This parish consists of four manors. SHEPSCOMB, a tythg. and chplry. in the par. of Painswick, hund. of Bisley, co. Gloucester, 2 miles E. of Painswick, its post town, and 4 N. of Stroud. The village, which is considerable, is situated in a secluded vale near the road from Stroud. Many of the inhabitants are