Site-Search
Coming Soon
|
Site-Search |
|
Page and site |
|
Bromley in Kent County England History and GeographyBROMLEY, a market town and parish in the hundred of BROMLEY and BECKENHAM, lathe of SUTTON at HONE, county of KENT, 10 miles (S. E.) from London, on the road to Tunbridge, containing 3147 inhabitants. This place, supposed to have derived its name from the quantity of broom with which the neighbourhood abounds, was, in the eighth century, given by Ethelbert, King of Kent, to the bishops of Rochester, in whose possession it has remained, with very little interruption, till the present time. The episcopal palace had become so ruinous in 1184, that Gilbert de Glanville was obliged to expend a considerable sum in repairing it. In this palace was found the plot of a conspiracy, of which Spratt, Bishop of Rochester, published an account in 1692. Bishop Thomas, on being appointed to the see, finding the old building much decayed, pulled it down, and erected the present palace, which was completed in 1777: it is a plain edifice of brick, pleasantly situated on the brow of an eminence about a quarter of a mile from the town. In the gardens was anciently an oratory, much resorted to on account of certain indulgences granted by Lucas, legate of Pope Sixtus IV., to all who should offer up their devotions there, during Pentecost; and near it was a well of mineral water, similar in its properties to the water at Tunbridge, but more strongly impregnated. This well, which was, in honour of the saint to whom the oratory was dedicated, called St. Blaze's well, was for a considerable time in great repute; but the oratory becoming dilapidated after the Reformation, the well was choked up and the efficacy of its water forgotten, till, being re-opened in 1756, it regained its former celebrity, and is still much esteemed for its medicinal quality. The town is pleasantly situated on the north side of the river Ravensbourne, and consists principally of one street extending for a considerable distance along the turnpike road: the houses are, in general, neat and well built, especially those in the market-place, in the centre of which is an ancient market-house, supported on wooden pillars: the streets are partially paved and lighted, and the inhabitants amply supplied with water. The market, granted to the bishop of Rochester in 1447, is on Thursday; and a great mart for cattle has been recently established on the third Thursday in every month: the fairs are, February 14th and August 5th, for live stock. The county magistrates hold a meeting for the division alternately here and at Farnborough, every other week. A court of requests, for the recovery of debts under £5, is held every alternate Thursday, at the market-house, the jurisdiction of which extends over the hundreds of Black-heath, Bromley, Beckenham, Roxley, Little and Lessness. Headboroughs and constables are appointed at the court leet of the lord of the manor. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Rochester, and in the patronage of the Bishop of Rochester. The church, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is a spacious structure, with a square embattled tower, partly rebuilt in 1792; it contains various interesting monuments, among which are those of several of the bishops of Rochester; of Dr. Hawkesworth, author of the Adventurer, who was a native of this place; and of Elizabeth, wife of Dr. Johnson: the font is in the Norman style. There are places of worship for Independents and Methodists. A National school for children of both sexes has been erected, and is supported by subscription: fifteen of the boys and as many girls are clothed by the dividends on £1400 stock, purchased with the amount of various donations, the chief of which were by the Rev. George Wilson, in 1718, and Launcelot Tolson, in 1726. In 1631, Bishop Buckeridge gave £20 to the poor, with which a house has been purchased, and is assigned rent-free to aged persons. Bromley college, at the north-east end of the town, was founded in 1666, by John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, who endowed it with £450 per annum, for the residence and support of twenty widows of loyal and orthodox clergymen, to each of whom he assigned £20 per annum, and to a chaplain £50; this endowment has been augmented by many subsequent benefactions: in 1767, the Rev. William Hetherington bequeathed £2000, old South Sea annuities, to purchase coal and candles for the use of the establishment; in 1774, Dr. Zachary Pearce, Bishop of Rochester, gave £5000 in the same stock for the augmentation of the widows' pensions; in 1782, William Pearce, the bishop's brother, bequeathed £10,000 for the erection and endowment of ten additional houses; in 1788, Mr. Betenson left £10,000 in the three per cents., for building and endowing ten additional houses; in 1823, Walter King, Bishop of Rochester, gave £3000, three per cents., for the payment of £30 per annum each, to three out-pensioners; and in 1824, Mrs. Rose bequeathed £8000, to increase the stipend of the widows. There are at present forty widows resident in the college, who receive £38 per annum each, with an allowance of coal and candles; and the chaplain's salary has been advanced to £150 per annum: the college is a handsome appropriate pile of building, surrounding two quadrangular areas, in which there is a chapel also. This institution is under the direction of fourteen trustees, among whom are the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Bishop, Archdeacon, and Chancellor of Rochester, the Dean of St. Paul's, and the Dean of the Arches, besides some who are elected. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
Readers of this page were also interested in: Blackheath in Kent County England History and Geography BLACKHEATH, a village situated within the parishes of GREENWICH, LEWISHAM, and LEE, in the hundred of BLACKHEATH, lathe of SUTTON at HONE, county of KENT, 5 miles (S.E.) from London, on the road to Dover Bromley (st. Leonard's) in Middlesex County England History and Geography BROMLEY (ST. LEONARD'S), a parish in the Tower division of the hundred of OSSULSTONE, county of MIDDLESEX, ½ a mile (S.) from Stratford le Bow, and 3½ miles (E.) from Cornhill, London, containing 4360 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of Middlesex, and diocese of London. John Walter, Esq. was patron in 1824. The church, dedicated to St Edington in Wilts County England History and Geography EDINGTON, a parish in the hundred of WHORWELSDOWN, county of WILTS, comprising the tythings of Baynton with West Coulston, Edington, and Tinhead, and containing 1099 inhabitants, of which number, 549 are in the tything of Edington, 3¾ miles (E.N.E.) from Westbury Harrogate in York County England History and Geography HARROGATE, a watering-place and joint township with Bilton, in the parish of KNARESBOROUGH, lower division of the wapentake of CLARO, West riding of the county of YORK, 3 miles (S.W.) from Knaresborough, 15 (N.) from Leeds, 21 (W. by N.) from York, and 200 (N.N.W.) from London, containing, with Bilton, 1934 inhabitants Malton (New) in York County England History and Geography MALTON (NEW), a borough and market town in the wapentake of RYEDALE, North riding of the county of YORK, 18 miles (N.E. by N.) from York, and 213 (N. by W.) from London, containing 4005 inhabitants Windermere in Westmorland County England History and Geography WINDERMERE, a parish in KENDAL ward, county of WESTMORLAND, 9 miles (W.N.W.) from Kendal, comprising the chapelry of Troutbeck, and the townships of Applethwaite and Undermilbeck, and containing, with the chapelry of Winster, which is in the parish of Kendal, but exclusively of a portion of the township of Ambleside, which is in this parish, 1441 inhabitants |
