Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/555

STIRTLOE. 513 STIXWOULD. BherifTs' courts are held here, and are attended by a number of procurators, resident in the town. Sheriffs' county courts are held every Tuesday and Friday, sheriff small-debt courts every Friday, and justice of peace small-debt courts on the first Monday in each month. One of the principal attractions of Stirling is the walk carried under the S. wall of the town, in the face of the castle rock, and in many places cut out of the stone. Stirling gave title of earl and viscount to the Alexanders, and was the birthplace of Graham, the botanist, in 1786. It gives name to a presbytery and synod, both of the Established and Free churches. The parish is a collegiate charge, in three divisions, value respectively 350, 250, and 200. The edifice now occupied as the E. and W. parochial churches is a Gothic structure of hewn stone, with an arched roof supported by two rows of plain, massive pillars. It was originally built by James IV. in 1494, for the use of the convent of Franciscans, or Grey Friars, but at the time of the Reformation became the pariah church, and so continued till 1656, when it was divided by a blank par- tition wall into the E. and W. churches ; the former has a chapel built by Cardinal Beaton, in which the Regent Arran publicly renounced Popery in 1543, and in which Knox preached before James VI. The third parish church, called the North Kirk, was erected in 1842 in Murray-place, on ground formerly belonging to the Dominican monastery founded by Alexander II. An ancient chapel, dedicated to St. Ninian, stood near the South Port, and gave name to a copious spring, which furnished the main supply of water to the citi- zens previous to 1774. There are two Free churches, the N. and S., and two United Presbyterian churches, also several other places of worship belonging to various denominations. Stirling has been long celebrated for its schools and hospitals ; some of the latter are foun- dations of long standing, and well endowed, as Co- wane's hospital, founded in 1633 ; the Spittal hospital, founded in 1530 for decayed burgesses, and two morti- fications; Allan's and Cunningham's, for maintaining and educating 50 boys. There are four burgh schools, one of which, the High School, built in 1854, is a first- class mathematical and classical academy, partially sup- ported out of the burgh fund, and partly by appro- priations from Allan's, Spittal's, and Cowane's bequests ; also a school of arts, ragged school, five ladies' schools, and about fifteen other denominational and private schools. In and around Stirling are numerous ancient structures and antiquities, as the King's Knott, or Ar- thur's Round Table, where tournaments were held ; the Ladies' Rock, where the ladies looked on ; the Moat Hill, or Hurley-Hacket, where executions took place ; the ruins of the Regent Marr's house, situated in Broad- street ; and Argyle's Lodgings (built in 1637 by the first Earl of Stirling), in Castle Wynd-alley. The race-course, situated in the ancient park, is an oblong of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 180 yards in circuit. Market day is on Friday. Fairs are held on the first Fridays in February, March, April, August, and November ; on the last Friday in March, the third Friday in September, and the second Friday in December ; also a statute fair for hiring farm servants in October. STIRTLOE, or STURTLOW, a hmlt. in the par. of Buckden, co. Hants, 4 miles S.W. of Huntingdon, near the river Ouse. STIRTON WITH THORLBY, a tnshp. in the par. of Kildwick, E. div. of Staincliffe wap., West Riding co. York, 1 mile N.V. of Skipton. It is situated near the Leeds and Liverpool canal and the river Aire. The tnshp. includes the hmlt. of Holme Bridge. ST1STKD, a par. in the bund, of Hinckford, co. Essex, 3 miles N.E. of Braintrce, its post town, and 5 S. of Hal- Btead. The village is situated on the river Blackwater. It was given in 1046 to Christ Church, Canterbury, by Godwin, Earl of Kent. The living is arect.* in thedioc. of Rochester, val. 466, in the patron, of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient Norman structure with a tower surmounted liy a sliingle spire, and containing six bells. The tower was rebuilt in 1844. The church has three stained windows. The parochial charities produce about 12 per annum. There is a girls' school supported by the rector, and an infant school by Onley Savill Onley.Esq., who is lord of the manor. There is a chapel for the Independents. STITCHCOMB, a tythg. in the par. of Mildenhall, co. Wilts, 3 miles E. of Marlborough, on the river Kennet. STITCHEL, a vil. in the par. of the same name, co. Roxburgh, Scotland, about 3 miles N.W. of Kelso. It is. situated on the road from Kelso to Greenlaw. Here are the parish church of Stitchel and Hume, also an United Presbyterian church. STITCHEL WITH HUME, a par. in the cos. of Berwick and Roxburgh, Scotland. It extends in length between 5 and 6 miles from N. to S., with a breadth of from 3 to 4 miles. That portion of the united par. which formed the ancient parish of Hume is situated in Ber- wickshire, and was united in the last century to that of Stitchel in Roxburghshire, in order to augment the minister's stipend. The soil is principally clayey, and in some places wet and cold, but has been so much im- proved that it is now productive. The village is about 3 miles N.W. of Kelso. It is situated on the river Eden, which here forms a cascade called Newton Don, with a fall of 40 feet. The united par. is in the presb. of Kelso, and synod of Merse and Teviotdale. The stipend of the minister is 219. The parish church stands in the village of Stitchel ; there is also an United Presbyterian church. A parochial school exists in each parish. The barony of Stitchel, and the barony of Hume each maintain their own poor. There is a deed of mor- tification of 100 by Captain Roger Handyside for the poor of the village of Hume. STITHIANS, ST., a par. in the hund. of Kerrier, co. Cornwall, 4 miles S.E. of Redruth, and 9 S.W. of Truro. This parish includes a part of the vil. of Ponsnooth, and the Druid stones called the Nine Sisters. There are powder and paper mills. The surface is hilly, and the sub- stratum principally granite and slate, with veins of tin. The land, which is principally in dairy farms, is fertile and well cultivated, though the soil is somewhat shallow. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Exeter, val. with Perran Arworthal 377. The church, dedicated to St. Stedian, is an ancient structure of granite, situated 390 feet above the sea-level. There is a chapel for Wesioyans, also a National school. In this parish are several ancient sculptured crosses. STITTENHAM, a tnshp. in the par. of Sheriff-Hut- ton, wap. of Bulmer, North Riding co. York, 7J miles S.W. of New Malton, and 13 N.E. of York. The village consists of a few agricultural buildings. The Duke of Sutherland is lord of the manor, and sole land- owner. STIVICHALL, a par. in the city of Coventry, co. Warwick, 1 mile S.W. of Coventry, its post town, and 4 miles from Kenilworth. The village is situated on a branch of the London and North- Western railway. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Worcester, val. 90. The church, dedicated to St. James, was rebuilt in 1817, the expense being defrayed by the late A. R. Gregory, Esq., of Stivichall Hall. STIXWOULD, a par. in the S. div. of Gartree wap., parts of Lindsey, co. Lincoln, 8 miles S.W. of Horn- castle, its post town, and 6 N.W. of Tattershall. It is a station on the Great Northern railway. The village, which is small, is situated near tlio river Witham, and is chiefly agricultural. Stixwould had formerly a Cistercian nunnery, founded in the reign of Stephen by Countess Lucy, widow of John Tailbois, Earl of Chester; at the Dissolution its revenue was valued at 163 Is. 'Id., and the site granted to R. Digli- ton in 1540. In 1850 two stone coffins were discovered on Abbey Farm. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Lincoln, val. 105. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, was reconstructed out of the stone of the ancient monas- tery in 1831. The register dates from 1543. The paro- chial charities produce about 1 per annum. Thera