Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/215

PETER-PORT. ST. 203 PETERSFIELD. the Scarborough of the N. of Scotland, which latter town it resembles not only in its situation, hut in the combination of sea bathing with the use of salubrious mineral waters. For some years, however, Peterhead has been on the decline as a watering place in reference both to its mineral waters and to its bathing accommo- dation. The population of the burgh in 1851 was 7,298, occupying 886 houses, which had increased in 1861 to 7,541 persons, inhabiting 1,020 houses. It contributes to return one member, with Elgin, Kintore, Inverury, Banff, and Cullen, to the imperial parliament, and had in 1856 a constituency of 235, the parliamentary limits being more extensive than those of the old burgh. Under the new municipal Reform Act it is governed by a provost, three bailies and treasurer, and seven town councillors. Its trade is considerable, chiefly coastwise, but some vessels trade to the colonies and foreign coun- tries. The chief exports are grain, meal, butter, cheese, eggs, pork, oil, salted fish, herrings, cod, and granite, and the imports lime, wool, timber, salt, iron, groceries, and general merchandise. It is still the chief seat of the whale and seal fishery, though these have of late years somewhat declined, giving place to the herring fishery, which is productive, yielding annually nearly 50,000 barrels, and employing about 8,000 persons. There is also a salmon fishery in the Ugie. There are but few manufactures, those of woollen cloth and thread having long since declined. A few weavers are employed by the manufacturers of Aberdeen, and there are a small carding and spinning mill, a rope- walk, and dye-works. In the vicinity of the town brick-earth is dug, and granite of excellent quality is largely quarried. There are also ship and boat building yards, several breweries, and two large grain mills, situated respectively at Ravenscraig and Invernettie. Three great lines of road diverge from the town, but only one railway has yet been formed, though several lines have been projected. On the shore amber and valuable pebbles are occasion- ally found. The par. is in the presb. of Deer and synod of Aberdeen, and in the patron, of the crown. The minister's stipend is 277, and unappropriated teinds 389. The parish church, built in 1803, is situated at the entrance of the town, and has a spire 118 feet high. There are besides a Free church, an United Presbyterian church, an Episcopalian chapel, situated in Merchant-street, and faced with axe-dressed granite, also places of worship belonging to the Independents, Weslcyans, and Roman Catholics. There are a paro- chial school, an endowed school, called " the town school," and several charitable institutions. In the parish are the remains of the ancient castles of Ravens- Craig, Boddan, and Inverugie, and the old seats of the Keiths and Marischals. Market day is on Friday. Fairs are held on the first Tuesdays after the 25th May and 18th November. PETER-PORT, ST., or ST. PETER'S PORT, a par., seaport, market town, and the capital of Guernsey, Isle of Guernsey, Channel Islands, 28 miles from St. Helier's, and 100 S. by W. of Southampton. This place, which is built on the slope of a hill fronting the sea, on the E. side of the island, is the only town in Guernsey. Its appearance on entering the harbour is imposing, the houses rising one above another up the hill's sides, and extending for nearly a mile along the shore. It consists of the old town, comprising the town parish, the new town, and Hauteville, or the upper town, built on the slope of a hill to the S.W. of the old town. The streets of the old town are narrow, steep, and winding, but the houses are built of stone ; and in the more modern portions, comprising the new town and Hauteville, both streets and houses are more regularly constructed. In the suburbs are numerous villas and detached houses. The principal public build- ings are the Government House, the residence of the lieutenant-governor ; the Elizabeth College, to be men- tioned presently ; the court-house, the new prison, the town hospital, or poorhouse, erected in 1742, and en- larged in 1810. The States library, literary and mecha- nics' institute, with a library of near 3 000 volumes ; VOL. m. assembly rooms, theatre, a custom-house, several clubs, two joint-stock banks, a savings-bunk, chamber of com- merce, insurance offices, gas and water works, the Vic- toria tower near the college, erected to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria in 1848 ; General .Doyle's pillar, 250 feet high ; and three markets, that for fish being an arcade, 200 feet long by 22 feet wide, with a double row of marble slabs, extending the whole length of the building. In the vicinity of the town ia a public promenade, known as the New Ground, and laid out in walks. About half a mile to the S. of the town is Fort St. George, crowning the heights, and now used as barracks, the works of which are considered of great strength. Around the coast are fifteen martello towers ; and the entrance of the harbour is further de- fended by a strong fort, called Castle Cornet, built on an isolated rock, half a mile off the shore, but which is accessible at low water in spring tides. The harbour, which is not sufficiently capacious for the trade of the port, is formed by two piers, measuring respectively 760 and 460 feet long, and 80 feet apart at the mouth of the harbour, which has a lighthouse 40 feet high, with a fixed light visible for 1 1 miles. The roadstead outside is well sheltered from the S.W. winds, and has from 12 to 25 fathoms water, except at the Great Bank, where it has only 3 fathoms, and several shoals above water. The chief shipping business is the coasting trade, which employs above 100 vessels, the exports being gra- nite, potatoes, fruit, vinegar, bricks, and Roman cement ; and the imports fish, com, colonial produce, and general merchandise. The principal manufactories are those of tobacco and snuff, soap, candles, cordage, bricks, cement, and spirituous liquors, which last are extensively distilled for exportation. The town, which includes the par. of St. Thomas, sends six members to the legislative assem- bly of the island, called the "States of Deliberation," which sits at St. Peter's Port, and seventy members to the States of Election. It is also the seat of the " Royal Court," the chief court of justice in the island. The principal seats are Castle Gary, or Le Catcl, belonging to the Gary family, and the Ivy old castle at Belgrave Bay. The living is a rect. with the cur. of St. Stephen's annexed, in the dioc. of Winchester, val. 500, in the patron, of the governor. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a Norman structure, built in 1312, with a tower, and is considered a good specimen of the French flam- boyant style of architecture. Besides the parish church, there are three district churches, the livings of which vary from 200 to 300. Holy Trinity church was formerly a proprietary chapel, but has been enlarged, and has now a district assigned to it. St. James's was erected in 1817, and St. John's, or Bethele, was erected in 1835. There are places of worship for Roman Catholics, Inde- pendents, Baptists, Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, New Connexion Methodists, Society of Friends, and Plymouth Brethren, besides numerous religious and charitable institutions. Queen Elizabeth's College, or grammar school, was rebuilt in 1830, in the Tudor style of architecture, and surrounded with spacious grounds. It has the preference to three fellowship and five scho- larships in Oxford University. There are besides, National and denominational schools in connection with the several places of rorship, and charity schools at- tached to the town hospital. The markets are open every day, but the principal market days are Wednesday and Saturday. PETERS, a tythg. in the par. of Portbury, co. Somer- set, 5 miles N.W. of Bristol. PETERSFIELD, a div. of the co. of Hants, contains the hunds. of Upper and Lower East Meon, and Upper and Lower Finch Dean, comprising about 61,690 acres. PETERSFIELD, a post and market town, and par- liamentary borough, in the lower half hund. of Finch Dean, co. Hants, 17 miles S.E. of Winchester, and 54 S.W. of London, and a station on the South- Western railway. It is situated on the old road from London to Portsmouth, and near the river Rother. It is a polling- place for the county elections, and a petty sessions town ; also the seat of a new County Court and superintendent