Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/116

ODIHAM. 104 OFFCHUROH. 41 W. by S. of London, and 3 from the "VVinchfield sta- tion on the London and South- Western railway. The parish is intersected by the line of the London and South- Western railway, and by the Basingstoko canal ; this latter passes about a mile N.E. of the town, and has on its banks commodious wharves, chiefly employed for the conveyance of chalk, timber, and coals, in which a considerable trade is carried on. The parish is of large extent, comprising about 7,200 acres, of which nearly two-thirds are arable, the remainder meadow, pasture, and hop grounds, with about 300 acres of woodland, and double that extent of common. The town is situated on the side of a chalk hill, and in the immediate vicinity are chalk pits. It was anciently a free borough belonging to the bishops of Winchester, who had a palace here, and about a mile N.W. of the town, at a place called North Warnborough, stood a castle, built shortly after the Norman conquest. This fortress sustained a siege of fifteen days in the reign of John, by the army of Louis the dauphin of France, though garrisoned only by three officers and ten privates. In the 27th year of Edward I. the town, park, and hundred were granted to Queen Margaret as part of her dower. In the reigns of Edward I. and Edward II. it was summoned to send members to parliament, but made no returns. In the reign of Edward III. the Scotch king, David Bruce, who had been made prisoner at the battle of Neville's Cross in 1346, was kept prisoner in the fortress for eleven years. It was subsequently given by James I. -to the Zouche family. Under the provisions of the Reform Act it is a polling-place for the county elections. Petty sessions are held fortnightly by the county magistrates, and a court-leet annually at Easter, when constables are appointed by the Bishop of Win- chester as lord of the manor. The town and parish together in 1861 contained 2,833 inhabitants. It has a mechanics' institute, with a library of 1,000 volumes, and a branch bank. The remains of the bishop's palace, still called Palace Gate, have been converted into a farm- house. At a short distance from the town is Dogmers- field Park, the residence of the Mildmay family, sur- rounded by a park, in which is a lake covering 44 acres. The living is a vie.* with the cur. of Grewell annexed, in the dioc. of Winchester, val. 500, in the patron, of the bishop. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is a spacious brick structure, coated with stucco, and was partially restored and reseated in 1851. It contains an ancient brass, bearing date 1470. The In- dependents and Lady Huntingdon's Connexion have each a place of worship. There is a free school for the education of 28 boys, founded and endowed by Robert May in 1694, also National, British, and infant schools. The parochial charities produce about 309 per annum. There are several endowed ahnshouses. Those near the church were founded in 1623 by Sir Edward More, others by Mapleton and Wyeth. William Lilly, the grammarian and first master of St. Paul's school, was born here in 1468. Market day is Tuesday. Fairs are held on the Saturday before Mid-Lent Sunday, and on the 31st July for horses and cattle. ODIHAM, MIDDLE and LOWER, hunds. in the Odiham div. of co. Hants. The former contains the pars, of Dogmersfield, Grewell, South Warnborough, Winchfield, and part of Odiham ; while the latter con- tains the pars, of Elvetham, Hartley- Wintney, Kother- wick, and part of Eversley, comprising together 14,130 acres. ODIN, a lead and silver mine in the Peak under Mam Tor, co. Derby. It yields three ounces of silver per ton, and is said to have been worked by the Saxons. Various other minerals, as barytes, manganese, petroleum, and fluor spar, are found in sinking the levels by which this mine is worked. _ ODNESS, a fishing station under Odness Head, E. side of Stronsay Island, Orkney Islands, coast of Scot- land, opposite the Boa rock. O'DORNEY, a par. in the bar. of Clanmaurice, co. Kerry, prov. of Munster, Ireland, 5 miles N. of Tralee, its post town. It is 3 miles long by 1 mile broad, and contains the vil. of Abbeydorney. The surface is hilly, including a part of the Stacks mountains. The living is an impropriate cur. in the dioc. of Ardfert and Aghadoe. There is a Roman Catholic chapel, also three hedge schools. Ardfert Abbey is the seat of W. Crosbie. Esq. Some remains of the church exist, but in a ruinous state. ODSALL-MOOR, a hmlt. in the tnshp. of Bierloy and par. of Bradford, West Riding co. York, near Bradford. It is situated on the canal near the source of the river Aire. Some of the inhabitants arc engaged in the collieries and iron mines. ODSEY, a hund. in the co. of Herts, contains the pars, of Ashwell, Broadfield, Bygrave, Galdecott, Clothall, (Jot- tered, Hinxworth, Kelshall, Radwell, Reed, Rushden, Sandon, Therfield, Wallington, Yardley, and part of Royston, comprising an area of 32,410 acres. ODSEY, a manor and hmlt. in the par. of Guilden- Mordon, hund. of Odsey, co. Cambridge, 4 miles W. by S. of Royston. It gives name to the hundred. ODSTOCK, a par. in the bund, of Cawden, co. Wilts, 3 miles S. of Salisbury, its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the river Avon, and is chiefly agricultural. At Clearbury Ring, to the S. of the village, is an extensive mound probably at one time a Roman camp. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1783. The living is a reel.* in the dioc. of Sarum, val. 282. The church is dedi- cated to St. Mary. ODSTONE, a tythg. in the par. of Ashbury, hund. of Shrivenham, co. Berks, 6 miles N.W. of Lambourn. ODUN, a demesne in the par. of Northam, co. Devon, 1 mile from Appledore, and 3 miles N. by E. of Bide- ford. It is situated under Hubbcrstone Hill, on Bideford Bay, at the mouth of the river Torridgc, and is cele- brated as the place where the Saxon earl Odun and the men of Devon defeated the Danish pirate Hubba. The victory is still celebrated at Odun Hall, the seat of the Hogge family. OFFA'S DYKE, or CLAWD OFFA, an ancient rampart formed by King Offa of Mercia towards the close of the 8th century, separating the Saxon kingdom of Mercia from the territory still retained by the Welsh beyond the Severn. It was from 50 to 60 feet wide, having a ditch on the Welsh side, and was defended by a line of small forts extending from Caedwn, near Mold, to Criggion, on the Severn, and thence through Deaii Forest to Chepstow. OFFALY, EAST, a bar. in the co. of Kildare, prov. of Leinster, Ireland Its boundaries are Carbery Conncll, Kilcullen, King's County, and West Oifaly. It is I'l miles long, and its greatest breadth is 5 miles. It contains the pars, of Ballymany, Ballysax, Cam, Clon- curry, Dunmurry, Grangeclare, Lullymore, Pollards- town, Thomastown, and parts of Bullyshannon, Feigh- cullen, Kildare, Kilmeage, Moono, Rathangan, and Tully. OFFALY, or OPHALY, WEST, a bar. in the Co. of Kildare, prov. of Leinster, Ireland. Its boundaries are King's County, East Offaly, Kilcullen, East Narragh, and Rheban. It is 13 miles long, and its average breadth is 2J miles. It contains the pars, of Ballybrackan, Dun- eany, Harristown, Kildangau, Kilrush, Knovinstown, Lackagh, Monasterevin, Nurney, Walterstown, and parts of BaUyshannon, Fontstown, and Rathangan. This barony was anciently part of the territory of the O'Con- nors, O'Dcmpseys, and O'Duins. OFFCHURCH, a par. in the Kenilworth div. of the hund. of Knightlow, co. Warwick, 3 miles E. of Lea- mington, its post town, and 5 N.E. of Warwick. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the river Learn, and near the line of the North- Western railway. The Warwick and Napton canal and the Roman Fosse Way intersect on the southern boundary of the parish. It formerly belonged to the Mercian kings, and subse- quently to the priory of Coventry. The Warwickshire hounds meet in the neighbourhood. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The soil is of various qualities, but generally fertile. The living is a vie. * in the dioc. of Worcester, vai 140. The church, dedicated