Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11 / Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set.

by Thomas Dugdale

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
24	Belton[A]	pa	Lincoln	Grantham	3	Leadenham	8	Lincoln	20	113	160
24	Belton	pa	Lincoln	Gainsboro'	13	Epworth	2	Crowle	5	162	1597
32	Belton	pa	Rutland	Uppingham	4	Oakham	7	Rockingham	9	92	400
36	Belton	pa	Suffolk	Yarmouth	4	Lowestoft	8	Beccles	9	121	124
24	Belvoir[B]	ex pa. lib	Leicester	Grantham	7	Newark	16	Colterswrth	10	112	105
43	Bempton	pa	E.R. York	Bridlington	3	Flamborough	3	Hunmanby	7	210	287

[A] BELTON. The church is a small ancient structure. The tower appears to have been rebuilt in the year 1637, and at a subsequent period, the chancel has been renewed. The church is extremely neat, and has Belton House. in the south window six pieces of stained glass, illustrative of scriptural subjects. Within the nave are several splendid monuments. Belton House, near Grantham, the residence of Earl Brownlow, is situated on a beautiful lawn, in a wooded valley, through which the river Witham winds its course. The mansion was built in the year 1689, from designs by Sir Christopher Wren. The form of the building is that of the letter H, a stile of architecture peculiar to that period. It is of stone, and presents four uniform elevations. The apartments are lofty, and well proportioned. Several of the rooms are highly ornamented with carving by Gibbons. The late Lord Brownlow made considerable improvements in the mansion. He took down the cupola and balustrade from the roof. The drawing room was considerably enlarged, and a new entrance at the south front made. Here are many pictures by celebrated masters of the Flemish and Italian schools, with numerous family portraits by Lely, Reynolds, Kneller, Romney and others. Among the latter we may remark a portrait of Sir John Cust, Bart., Speaker of the House of Commons, in his robes, by Sir Joshua Reynolds. William III. in his progress through the northern counties, honoured Belton House with his presence. The park comprises an area of five miles in circumference, inclosed by a wall; numerous plantations of fine trees are highly ornamental to the place. Sir John Brownlow, K.B. afterwards Viscount Tyrconnel, enriched the library with a valuable collection of books; he also formed some extensive gardens, which have since been more adapted to the modern taste in gardening.

[B] BELVOIR. The Castle is one of the most magnificent structures in the kingdom. It is placed on an abrupt elevation of a kind of natural cliff, forming the termination of a peninsular hill. It has been the seat of Manners, Dukes of Rutland, for several generations, and claims the priority of every other building in the county in which it is situated. Belvoir has been the site of a Castle ever since the Norman conquest; and its possessors have been chiefly persons of eminence who have figured in the pages of history. The view from the terraces and towers comprehends the whole vale of Belvoir and the adjoining country as far as Lincoln, including twenty-two of the Duke of Rutland's manors. On the southern slope of the hill are enclosed-terraces, on which there are several flower-gardens, The Castle. surrounded by shrubberies. The park is of great extent, containing fine forest trees, which form a woodland beneath the hill so extensive as to afford shelter for innumerable rooks. Its interior and furniture is of the most superb and costly description; it also contains one of the most valuable collections of paintings in this country, whether considered for the variety of the schools, or the works of each master. A conflagration took place in the year 1816, which consumed a great portion of the ancient part of the castle, and several of the pictures. A curious anecdote is related, illustrative of the folly and superstition of ancient times, which may not be uninteresting to add. Joan Flower and her two; daughters who were servants at Belvoir Castle, having been dismissed the family, in revenge made use of all the enchantments, spells, and charms that were at that time supposed to answer their malicious purposes. Henry the eldest son died soon after their dismissal, but no suspicion of witchcraft arose till five years after, when the three women who are said Charge of witchcraft. to have entered into a formal contract with the devil, were accused of "murdering Lord Henry Ross by witchcraft and torturing the Lord Francis his brother and Lady Catherine his sister." After various examinations they were committed to Lincoln gaol. The mother died at Ancaster, on her way thither, having wished the bread and butter she ate might choak her if she was guilty. The daughters were tried before Sir Henry Hobbert, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and Sir Edward Bromley, one of the Barons of the Exchequer; they confessed their guilt and were executed at Lincoln, March 11, 1618.

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
41	Bemerton[A]	pa	Wilts	Salisbury	2	Wilton	2	Amesbury	9	83	...
36	Benacre	pa	Suffolk	Yarmouth	17	Lowestoft	7	Blythburg	8	108	...
29	Benridge	ham	Northumb	Morpeth	3	Ruthbury	13	Blyth	14	291	57
28	Benefield[B]	pa	Northamton	Oundle	3	Weldon	6	Corby	8	85	519

[A] BEMERTON, a parish in the hundred of Branch and Dole. The rectory of this place is interesting, as having been the residence of no less than four celebrated characters, viz. Dr. Walter Curie, Bishop of Bath Celebrated men. and Wells, and afterwards of Winchester, who died in 1647; George Herbert, called the divine, who died in 1635; John Norris, a metaphysical writer, who died in 1711; and, lastly, Mr. Archdeacon Coxe, the traveller and historian, who died in 1828: all of them gentlemen highly distinguished in the annals of literature.

[B] BENEFIELD. In this parish are some remarkable cavities, called Swallows, which have opened a wide field of speculation among philosophers, who have grounded, upon the singular phenomena they exhibit, some new systems with regard to the theory of the earth. These swallows are situated about a furlong west of the village, and are nine in number. Geological curiosities. Through these cavities, the land-flood waters constantly pass and disappear. They are of a circular form, and of various diameters; some having an oblique, and others a perpendicular descent, opening beneath the apertures into large spaces, which exhibit several smaller conduits, through which the waters pass, to join perhaps, some subterranean river, or mingle with the grand abyss of waters, which some philosophers have placed in the centre of the earth.

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
5	Bengers	ham	Bucks	Colnbrook	3	Uxbridge	3	Slough	4	18	...
21	Beneden[A]	pa	Kent	Cranbrook	3	Tenterden	5	Rolvenden	3	51	1663
13	Benfield-Side	ham	Durham	Durham	12	Newcastle	13	Wolsingham	12	270	543
14	Benfleet, North	pa	Essex	Rayleigh	4	Billericay	6	Southend	6	29	300
14	Benfleet, South[B]	pa	Essex	...	4	...	9	...	6	32	533
18	Bengeo	pa	Hertford	Hertford	1	Ware	2	Watton	5	22	855
15	Bengrove	ham	Gloucester	Tewkesbury	6	Evesbam	7	Pershore	7	101	...
42	Bengworth	pa	Worcester	Worchester	16	Pershore	7	Broadway	5	100	850
36	Benhall	pa	Suffolk	Saxmundham	2	Frainlingh	5	Woodbridge	3	89	668
4	Benham	to	Berks	Newbury	3	Hungerford	6	Kinbury	3	59	...
4	Benham-Hoe	ham	Berks	...	4	...	6	...	4	60	...
44	Benningborough	to	N.R. York	York	7	Boro'bridge	8	Wetherby	10	204	93
46	Benningholme	to	E.R. York	Beverly	7	Hornsea	7	Hull	8	182	103
18	Bennington	pa	Hertford	Stevenage	5	Buntingford	6	Watton	3	29	631
24	Bennington	pa	Lincoln	Boston	5	Wainfleet	12	Burgh	16	121	500
24	Bennington-Long[C]	pa	Lincoln	Grantham	7	Newark	7	Leadenham	8	116	982

[A] BENENDEN, or Biddenden, three miles south east from Cranbrook, is at present populous, though the clothing manufacture, which first occasioned the increase of the population of this part of the county, in the reign of Edward the Third, has for many years failed here. Several good houses still remaining, discover the prosperity of the former inhabitants. The church is a handsome regular building, and its tower a structure of considerable height and strength. By the old part now remaining, it appears to have been originally but small. The interior contains several ancient brasses, and among them, one for the Goldwells of Great Chart; with the dates 1452, and 1499, in Arabic numerals: the rebus of this name, a golden fountain, or well, is also in one of the windows. A free grammar school, now degenerated into a complete sinecure, was founded here in the year 1522. There is a tradition in this parish, that a bequest for the use of the poor, of 20 acres of land, now called the Bread and Cheese land, lying in five pieces, was given by two maiden sisters, commonly The Biddenden maids. called the "Biddenden Maids," of the name of Chulkhurst, "who were born joined together by the hips and shoulders, in the year 1100;" and having lived in that state thirty-four years, died within about six hours of each other. This tale is affected to be established by the correspondent figures of two females impressed on cakes, which after Divine service, in the afternoon, on every Easter Sunday, are distributed to all comers, and not unfrequently to the number from 800 to 1000. At the same time, about 270 loaves, weighing three pounds and a half each, and cheese in proportion, are given to the poor parishioners; the whole expence being defrayed from the rental of the bequeathed lands. The marvellous part of the story however, was wholly discredited by the well informed, until the visit of the Siamese twins to this country revived it with some appearance of truth.

[B] BENFLEET lies south-west by south from Rayleigh. Here was a castle, built by Hastings, the celebrated Danish pirate, and which building A pirate's castle. Matthew of Westminster described, as having deep and wide ditches. This fortress Alfred the Great took and destroyed in the year 890; Hasting's wife and two sons taken therein, were sent to London. The creeks entering the Thames round Benfleet are celebrated for their oysters.

[C] BENNINGTON, called Belintone in the Domesday Book, was a seat of the Mercian kings; and here a great council of nobility and prelates was assembled about the year 850, under King Bertulph, who on the complaint of Askill, a monk of Croyland, of the great devastations committed on the property of that monastery by the Danes, granted the monks a new charter of divers "splendid liberties," and several extensive manors. In Ancient charters. the 33d of Edward I. a charter of a weekly market, and a fair annually, was granted for this manor; but the former has long fallen into disuse! The manor was long in possession of the Bourchiers, Earls of Essex. Robert, the third Earl, after his divorce from the infamous Lady Francis Howard, his first wife, in 1613, sold it to Sir Julius Cæsar, Knt., from whom it descended to his son and heir, Sir Charles Cæsar. This gentleman was appointed Master of the Rolls in 1638; and, after being twice married, and having fifteen children by both wives, died of the small-pox, at Bennington, in 1643: this disease proved fatal also to several of his issue, and among them, to Julius, his eldest surviving son, who dying within a few days, was buried in the same grave with his father. Henry, his next son, and heir, represented this county in the two first parliaments held in the reign of Charles II.; and he was knighted by that sovereign in 1660: he also died of the small-pox, in January 1667. The small-pox fatal to Cheshires. This manor was sold to the trustees under the will of Sir John Cheshire, Knt. His great nephew, John Cheshire, Esq., resided in a small mansion near the ancient castle at Bennington, which stood westward from the church, and most probably occupied the spot whereon stood the palace of the Saxon Kings. The artificial mount of the keep, with the surrounding ditch, are still to be seen. The old manor-house that had been inhabited by the Cæsars, stood in the park, at a small distance from the village, but was burnt down about fifty years ago. A small edifice, since erected on the site, was for some years occupied by Mr. Bullock. Bennington church is a small fabric, consisting of a nave and a chancel, with a tower at the west end, and a chapel or burial-place connected with the chancel on the north. Here are two ancient monuments, under arches, which form Their monuments. part of them, each exhibiting recumbent figures of a knight and a lady. Many of the Cæsars lie buried here. The Benstede family, sometime lords of the manor, are supposed to have built this church, as their arms are displayed both upon the roof and on the tower. In a niche over the south porch, St. Michael and the dragon are sculptured.