Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/392

SOMERS. 338 SOMERVILLE. SOMERS, John, Lord (1651-1716). An Eng- lisli lawvi r and statesman. He was born in Wor- cester and educated in private schools and at Trinity CoUegc, Oxford. He was called to the bar in 1676. distinguished himself in the trial of the seven bishops, became leader in the negotia- tions of the discontented nobles with William III., and was an imiiortant member of the first Parliament after the revolution of 1688-89. The Bill of Rights was drafted by a committee of which he was chairman, and its chief defence in Parliament was intrusted to him. He was made Solicitor-General in 1089, Attorney-General three years later, and Lord Keeper in 1093, and became Speaker of tlie House of Lords a few months later. In 1697 he was appointed Lord Chancellor of England. At this time he was raised to the peerage. Somers was closely asso- ciated with John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton in the measures looking to the reform of the coin- age. He was removed from the Chancellorship in 1700, impeachment proceedings being begim against him, which, however, were soon dropped. His literary reputation is most closely associated with the great library he collected, from which was afterwards edited the Soyncrs Tracts by Sir Walter Scott (13 vols., London, 1809-13). SOMERSET, sum'er-set, Edward Seymour, Duke of (c. 1500-52). See Seymour. SOMERSET, FiTZROY J.mes Henry, Lord; First Baron Raglan. See R.GLAN. SOMERSETSHIRE. A maritime county in the southwest of England, bounded on the north- west by Bristol Channel, and in other direc- tions by Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire (Map: England, C 5). .Area, 1615 square miles. Population, in 1891, 484,337 ; in 1901, 508,104. The surface is diversified with lofty hills and barren nioor.s, rich vales and marshy levels, many thousands of acres of the latter being below high-water mark, and depend- ing for security on sea banks and sluices. The hills are divided into several ranges running from east to west, the most conspicuous being the jSIendips. In the extreme west is the wild district of Exmoor (q.v. ). The chief river, the Bristol. Avon, rises in Wiltshire and for some miles divides Somersetshire from Glou- cestershire. The wheat and barley grown aroimd Bridgewater are famous; grazing and dairy farm- ing form the leading branches of husbandry; and the cheese of Cheddar has a great reputation. The hilly districts are rich in minerals, especially iron, with some lead and freestone. The manu- factures are woolen cloth, coarse linens, lace, silk, and gloves. Capital, Taunton. British camps are numerous on the hills, and extensive remains of stone circles are visible at Stanton Drew, near Bristol. Consult Cooke, Topography of Great Britain (London, n. d.). SOMERS (sum'erz) ISLANDS. A group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. See Bermuda. SOMERSWORTH. sum'erz-wilrth. A city in Strafl^ord County, N. H., five miles north of Dover, on Salmon Falls River, and on the Bos- ton and Maine Railroad (Map: New Hampshire, L 8). There is a public librar}'. Somersworth is chiefly noted for its manufacture of cotton cloth an<l woolen goods, but has also important boot and shoe interests. Tlie water-works are owned and operated by the nuniicipality. Set- tled in 1729, Somersworth was incorporated as a town in 1754, and was chartered as a city in 1893. Population, in 1890, 6207; in 1900, 7023. SOMERVILLE, sum'er-vil. A city in Middle- sex County, ilass., adjoining Boston, on the Mystic River, here spanned by two bridges, and on the Boston and Maine Railroad (Map: Massa- chusetts, E 3). It is largely a residential city. Many places of historic interest add to its at- tractiveness. Broadway, over which Paul Re- vere passed on his famous ride; Central Hill, occupied by a redoubt during the siege of Bos- ton : the old Powder House, where the yiowder for the American Army was stored; Prospect Hill, said to be the scene of the first unfurling of the American flag, and the headquarters of Generals Greene and Charles Lee, are especially noteworthy. The city has a public library with 56,000 volumes, Somerville Hospital, Catholic Home for the Aged, Somerville Home for the Aged, a State armory, and a fine city hall. In the census year 1900 the various industrial es- tablishments of Somerville had an invested cap- ital of •$10,131,590, and a prodnction valued at .$21,770,511. Slaughtering and meat packing, cloth bleaching and dyeing, the distillation of liquors, and the manufacture of metal tubing, desks, pictures and frames, and jewelry are the leading industries. The government is vested in a mayor, chosen annually, and a imicameral council. Of the subordinate officials the majority are appointed by the mayor subject to the confirmation of the council; the school board, however, is elected by popular vote. The assessed valuation of real and personal propertv in 1902 Avas .$55,485,370. and the net debt (.January 1, 1903) $1,477,000. The city spends annually for maintenance and op- eration about $1,000,000, the main items being: For schools, ,$300,000; for streets, $159,000; for the police department (including amounts for jails, workhouses, reformatories, etc.), $69,000; for the fire department, $08,000; for municipal lighting, $03,000; for water-works, $.52,000; and for interest on debt, $51,000. The water-works are owned bv the municipality. Population, in 1890, 40.152; in 1900, 01,043. Settled about 1631, Somerville was a part of Charlestown vintil separately incorporated in 1842. In 1871 it was chartered as a city. Witliin the limits of the present city a large body of Hessian prisoners were quartered in 1777-78. Consult: Samuels, (editor), f^omerviUe. Past and Present (Boston, 1897) : and Hurd, History of Middlesex County (Philadelphia, 1890). SOMERVILLE. A town and the county-seat of Somerset County, N. J.. 30 miles west by south of New York City, on the Raritan River, and on the Central Railroad of New Jersey (Map: New Jersey, C 2). It is an attractive residential place and has a public library. The principal manufactures are Moolen cloth, cloth- ing, and brick. Population, in 1890, 3861 ; in 1900. 4843. SOMERVILLE, Mary (1780-1872). A writer on mathematics and physical science, born at .Jedburgh. Scotland. In 1804 she married Cap- tain Greig of the Russian navy, and removed to London. .After three years of married life she was left a widow and free to devote her- self to study. In 1812 she married her cou- sin. Dr. William Somerville. After presenting