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Midhurst in Sussex County England History and GeographyMIDHURST, a borough, market town, and parish, in the hundred of EASEBOURNE, rape of CHICHESTER, county of SUSSEX, 11½ miles (N. by E.) from Chichester, and 49¼ (S.W.) from London, containing 1335 inhabitants. This is evidently a place of great antiquity, having been a large town prior to the Conquest, and having enjoyed its privilege of parliamentary representation ever since the reign of Edward II. The town is agreeably situated upon a gentle eminence surrounded by hills, and on the banks of the river Rother: the streets are clean and the houses well built; and the inhabitants are remarkable for longevity, which is attributed to the great salubrity of the atmosphere. The market is on Thursday: fairs are held on April 8th and October 27th. The Rother, or Arundel, navigation commences at this town. A bailiff is chosen annually at the court leet of the lord of the manor: the petty sessions for the hundred are held at the Angel Inn. The borough comprises a plot of ground without the boundaries of the present town, probably the site of some more ancient place: there is not a single house upon it, but the situation of the burgage tenements is accurately marked by large stones set up for that purpose. Midhurst is a borough by prescription, and has sent members to parliament ever since the 4th of Edward II.: the right of election is vested in about one hundred and twenty burgage-holders, and the bailiff is the returning officer. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Chichester, endowed with £400 private benefaction, £600 royal bounty, and in the patronage of William Stephen Poyntz, Esq. The church, which is dedicated to St. Denis, has a south chapel at its east end, which contains some handsome monuments of the family of Browne, Viscounts Montague, the most remarkable being that of Anthony, first Lord Montague, and his two wives: he is represented in his robes of the garter, with armour and ruff, kneeling at a square pedestal or altar, on which his helmet is placed. This church has received an addition of one hundred and thirty-three free sittings, for which the Incorporated Society for enlarging churches and chapels contributed £50. The free grammar school was founded by Gilbert Hannam, of Midhurst, in 1672, who during his life granted a rent-charge of £20 for ever, for the education of twelve boys in Latin, Greek, and arithmetic, and at his decease, in 1677, bequeathed a moiety of his estate for the further support of the master: it is open to the sons of inhabitants who have resided seven years in Midhurst, and the late head-master, Dr. Bailey, having made large additions to the school-house, it has now become a classical school of considerable importance: the total annual income arising from the above-mentioned benefaction is £32. 18. A National school is supported by subscription. At a short distance from the town are the picturesque ruins of Cowdray House, once the magnificent seat of the Montague family, which was accidentally destroyed by fire in 1793. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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