and Lords thereof. The laft Sir William, and Sir Hugh de Widworthy his fon, in the age of King Edward I. left his daughter Emma, first married unto Sir William Proufe, fecondly to Sir Ro bert Dinham, Knights. Thefe lands remained divers defcents in the name of Proufe, until by an heir of Wootton, that had wedded an heir of Proufe, it was carried into the family of Chichester of Raleigh, who gave this manor unto John his fon, which he had by his fecond wife, the daughter of Bryett. The manor-houfe is fituated near the church, a large old building, in form of a quadrangle, the undoubted refidence of De Widworthy, Knt. the founder of the church. The front of the building is of more modern erection than the three other fides. Over the porch are the arms of the Chichesters, viz. Checky, a chief vairy; creft, on a helmet, an oftrich with a bit of iron in its mouth, in lead. In the cieling of the hall is the date 1616. The highest point of Widworthy-hill, which is as high a hill as any in the neighbourhood, is nearly the centre of the parish; on the North-eaft fide of which are fome remains of an ancient entrenchment; and near the church, on an eminence having a defcent every way, in a field fill called Castle Wood, are remains of a fmall entrenchment. In the Northern extremity of the parish there is a remarkably large flint-rock, five feet in height, and four in width and depth, known by the name of grey-ftone; and nearly oppofite, on the Southern extremity, is another tone of nearly the fame dimenfions, both of them evidently placed there by defign. A fchool was founded by one Searl, but, having been endowed with a leafehold eftate, is fallen into hand. A houfe and fchool have been Gince given by James Marwood, Elq. 1767 fome other benefactions have increased the mafter's falary eight pounds per annum. No Difenting Meeting, or Diffenters. The church is Situated on a rifing ground in the North part of the parish, dedicated to St. Cuthbert it is built of flint, in the form of a Latin crofs; as are all the churches I have hitherto feen dedicated to that Saint. The church is an uniform building, confifting of a nave, a chancel, and a tranfept; and, I should fuppofe, was built by one of the De Widwortbys, Knights: though Mr. Incledon fuppofes it to have been built at GENT. MAG. July, 1791. different times. The height of the church, infide, is 21 feet; the extreme length within, from the altar-piece to the tower, 51 feet; the breadth of the tranfept, including the nave, is 36 feet. The old timber being decayed, a new roof, covered with flate, was erected in 1785, and neatly plaiffered within, with a handfome cornice. There is a strong, fquare, plain tower, with battlements, in height 40 feet, with five bells; a neat wainscot altar-piece, given by Jas. Marwood, Efq.; and the church was newly-feated with wainscot by the parishioners in 1787. The font is of one folid free-ftone, in an octagon form, about four feet high, and bears evident marks of antiquity. The fcreen and rood-loft were taken down before my remembrance. There are feveral small niches for the holy-water; and on removing the old plaifter when the church was lately new-roofed, the walls appeared to have been painted through out. No ftained glafs. On the North wall of the chancel is a handfome marble monument, erected to the memory of fome of the Ifacks of Ford, who were buried here, though they lived in the adjoining parish of Dallwood, co. Dorfet; it bears date 1685. Arms: Sable, a bend, Or; in a canton Argent, a leopard's head Sable, impaling, Ermine, on a bend, between bendlets Sable, three griffins' heads Or. The reft are modern, viz. another on the North, erected to the memory of three bro thers, James Marwood, M.D. Benedictus and Thomas Marwood, Efqrs. eminent for honefly, piety, and good conomy. Arms: Gules, a chevron Ermine, between three goats' headscrafed Ermined. On the South wall of the chancel is a monument to the memory of "Jacobi Somafter, viri probi & rei medici periti, quam Honitoni novem per annos feliciter exercuit; 748." Arms: Argent, a castle between five fleurs de lis, within a bordure Or. Creft, a portcullis. In the South tranfept is a very handfome monument to the memory of Robert Marwood, of Cook fhays, Eq. 1755; and Mrs. Brid get Marwood, his fter, 1756: an unmeaning infcription at the bottom. Sua præmia virtus. Arms of the Marwoods as above delcribed. Creft to this: a goat couchant proper, on a wreath Sable and Gules. In the North tranfept is a monument to the memory of the late James Marwood, Efq. which ex ceeds 610 Topographical Defcription of Widworthy. ceeds my defcription: it is executed by that celebrated ftatuary Bacon, and is in his happiest style. [See Plate 1.]. In the centre is a beautifully-enriched vafe, placed upon a Roman pedeftal. On the right-fide is a moft animated figure of Juftice, fufpending her fcale; and on the left Benevolence, reclining over a pelican in its neft, feeding its young from its breaft. The delicacy and expreffion of their countenances, attitude, and drapery, and the harmony and juft proportion of the whole, rank it with the first performances of its artift. Be neath is an infeription: "James Marwood, Efq. died April 3, 1767, aged 65. The memory of the juft is blessed." The whole is pleafingly relieved by a back-ground of deep yellow marble, with an elegant white marble bordure rifing conically to an obtufe angle over it. [July, one in the chance!, the other in the body of the church. One has its infcription quite defaced; the other the Chichester arms, with this infcription: DORMI TORIUM IOHANIS CHICHESTER, AR MIGERI, QVI OBIIT NONO DIE IV NII, AN'O SALVTIS 1661. In a table over the door at the Weft end of the tower, on the outfide, are three emblems (as at top of PL. I.); and over them fome relief, but much defaced, which has the appearance of a crucifix, and on each fide a perfon in a fuppliant pofture. The following is an extract of the table of benefactions. In 1733, Robert Marwood, Efq. annually 20s. to the poor on St. Luke's day. 1741, Benedictus Marwood, Efq. the intereft of 100l. to the parifh fchoolmater. 1767, James Marwood, Efq. 40s, yearly, and a fchool-room to dito. 1769, Rev. Jofeph Somafter, Rector, the interest of rool. half to the parifh fchool-maßler; the other to the poor, in bread, on Chrift mas day. The communion plate is hand fome; a chalice and a large filver veffel for the wine, given by Mrs. B. Marwood, of Cookfhays, dated 1756, and a patten, given by the late rector, Jo. Smafier, in ufum facrofan&tæ eucharifle, 1756; who allo gave a velvet cloth for the pulpit. The church-yard is large for the parish, being near half an acre; a large flourishing yew-tree decorates it. There are two old tombs, and a few head-ftones,-the infcriptions not remarkable. The register is in good prefervation, and quite compleat from 1540 to the prefent date, 1791The population has been rather on the decline, though it is now increasing. Under an arch in the wall, immediately under the Northern window in the fame tranfept, lies the ftatue of a man, very perfect, at full length, in compleat armour, with fpurs; his fhield, fufpended by a belt from his right fhoulder, hangs over his left-arm, and reaches to the lower part of his thigh; his head is fupported by a cushion, with a cherub on each fide, his feet by a lion; his hands recline on his breaft, in the attirude of prayer. On his shield are three lions rampant between five crofflets, two at the top, one in the centre, and two in the base. There is not the leaft veftige of an infcription, nor, I believe, was there ever any. There is no tradition in the parish whom it was intended for though I fhould fuppofe it the founder of the church, De Widworthy, Kat. There are two large flat fiones, BAPTISMS, BURIALS, and MARRIAGES, for the laft Twenty-one Years. The following is a lift of the incumbents fince the Reformation, with the date of their inftitutions : Roger Slade. 1575, Bartholomew Palmer. 1610, Robert Perry. 1644, John Chichester. 1650, Samuel Periam. 1659, John Bury. 1663. Benjamin Dukes. 1695, Robert Cole. The Chichefters patrons. 1728, Peter Stuckley.-Sir William Pole, by grant from the Chichesters, patrons for this turn. 1736, Jofeph Somafter. 1769, William John Tucker.-The Marwoods patrons. Bartholomew Cowde was inflituted May 23, 1554, in the place of Robert Coyle, deprived as uxoratus. The parfonage houfe is about half a furlong distant from the church, is an old building covered with thatch, but hath fome good rooms, and is not inconvenient. All tithes are payable to the rector in kind; and there is a cuftomary modus of three hillings and four pence payable to the rector for every pit of lime burned in the parish; and the manor-mills pay an annual modus of ten groats. J. T. the Popes, upon their exaltation to St. Peter's chair, have frequently celebrated a jubilee upon other extraordinary occafions. The ceremony obferved at Rome for the jubilee, at every 25 years end, which they call the holy year, is this: the Pope goes to St. Peter's church to open the holy gate, which is walled up, and only opened upon this occafion, and, knocking three times at the faid gate with the golden hammer he has in his hand, utters these words: Aperite mibi portas juftitiæ, &c. "Open to me the gates of righteoufnefs; I will go int them, and praise the Lord," Pf. cxviii. 19; whereupon the mafons fall to work to break down the wall that ftops the gate; which done, the Pope kneels down before it, whilft the penitentiaries of St. Peter wash him with holy water; and then taking up the cross, he begins to fing the Te Deum, and enters the church, the clergy following him. In the mean time, three cardinal legates are fent to open the three other holy gates with the fame ceremonies, which are in the churches of St. John of Lateran, of St. Paul, and St. Mary the Greater, and is performed at the firft vefpers, or evening fong, of Christmas eve, and the next morning the Pope gives his benediction to the people in the jubilee form. When the holy year is expired, they fhut the holy gates again on Christmas eve in this manner: the Pope, after he has bleffed the ftones and mortar, lays the first stone, and leaves there twelve boxes full of gold and filver medals. In days of old, a prodigious number of all forts of people came to Rome from all parts of Europe in the holy year; but few repair thither now except those who refide in Italy, because the Popes afford this privilege to other countries, who have the liberty of staying at home and receiving the fame favours from his Holinefs. C. 612 A Villata?-Sepulchres.-A large Oak. Urban will be obliging enough to mention that he will infert a fmall draw ing, with an intent to throw fome light on that matter, a future opportunity will be taken to tranfmit it. J. LANGDALE. Mr. URBAN, June 27. I Winchcombe in Gloucester thire, and SEND you two inedited tokens of one of "Nathanell Gilbert at Hinkley, 1671, different from that engraved in the "Leicestershire Collections," p. 978. In an antient record, temp. Hen 111. I find a lift of towns, of feveral of which, when united, it is expreffed, “Nomina Villarum quæ pro Villatis in Itinere refpondent" and here and there one is confiderable enough to be taken “pro villatâ integrâ." I with to know to what fpecies of Itinerary this alludes; and the precife meaning of "villata" in this fenfe. Mr. URBAN, M. GREEN. June 27. THE HE inclofed drawing (pl. II. fig. 6) is an exact reprefentation of five fepulchres hewn out of a folid rock near a churchyard at Heysham, about fix miles from Lancafter, with the ruins (as they are fuppofed to be) of fome place of worthip ftanding a few yards, from the fepulchres. Thefe are about 11 inches deep; the breadth and depth of the largest are much the fame as a common coffin; the others are in pro portion. The three holes at the heads of them are about five inches deep, but fo much defaced that no judgement can be formed for what purpofe they were made. If any of your ingenious correfpondents, whofe purfuits may enable them to gratify my request, will have the goodness to illuftrate either the prefent drawing, or the ring which accompanies it (See p. 513, fig. 4), they will greatly oblige, INQUISITOR. [July, tended, defpoiled of all his foliage and umbrageous branches; on which occafion the Sylvan Gods are all in mourn ing, Pan has broken his mellifluent reeds, the Wood Nymphs have retired to their most obicure retreats, and even my fombre pen refufes his office, further than merely to tranfcribe for your valuable Repofitorv a regitter of the dimen fions of this fuperb tree. A WORCESTERSHIRE Druid. Measure and Particulars of a large Oak, fallen the laft Montb, in the Park of Sir John Rufhout, Bart. at Northwick, rear B.ockley, Worcestershire, judged to be about 300 Years old, which is perfectly found, and is very fine timber. Girt at five feet from the ground Length to the branches Solid contents of the body Eftimated timber in the arms Total Feet 21 18 30 634 200 834 Suppofed to be worth at least 2s. £. 5. Total value 83 8 6 6 5 £.94 19 MR. URBAN, Pentonville, June 16. that Mr. William Owen has F the following account, in addition communicated, of the difcovery of a nation of Indians in America that speak the Welsh language, will not be unacceptable to your readers, I fhall be obliged to you for the infertion of it. About twenty years ago, I became acquainted with a Mr. Binon, of Coyty, in the county of Glamorgan; he had been for about thirty years ablent from his native country, and, during a great part of that time, an Indian trader from Philadelphia. Being once with fome friends in his company, and the Welsh language happening to be the subject oi converfation, he told us, that there was in North America a tribe of Welsh Indians, who spoke the language with much greater purity than we speak it in Wales. Indulging my natural inquifitive turn nd, I defired him to favour me with an account of what he knew of thofe people; upon which he gave me the following information, viz. that, about the year 1750, being one of a party of five or fix traders, they 'pene. trated trated much farther than ufual into the remote parts of the Continent, far beyond the Miffifippi, where, to their great furprize, they found a nation of Indians who spoke the Welsh tongue; they gave Mr. Binon a very kind reception, but were very fufpicious of his English companions, and took them for Spaniards or Frenchmen, with whom they seemed to be at war; but Mr. Binon foon removed their doubts, on which a friendly intercourse ensued. Thofe Indians had iron amongst them, lived in one-built villages, were better cloathed than other tribes; there were fome ruinous buildings amongst them, one appeared like an old Welf caftle, another like a ruined church, &c.; they fhewed Mr. Binon a MS book, which they carefully kept, believing that it contained the myfteries of Religion; and faid, that it was not very long fince a man had been amongst them who understood it. This man (whom they esteemed a prophet) told them, they faid, that a people would fome time wifit them, and explain to them the myfteries contained in their book, which would make them completely happy. They very anxiously afked Mr. Binon if he understood it; and, on being anfwered in the negative, appeared very fad, and earnestly defired him to fend one to them who could explain it. After he and his Engliff fellow-travellers had been for fome time amongst them, they departed, and were conducted by thole friendly Indians for many days through valt defarts, and were plentifully fupplied by them with a profufion of provihons which the woods afforded; and, atter they had been brought to a place they well knew, they parted with their numerous Indian guides, who wept bitterly on their taking leave, of them, and very urgently intreated Mr. Binon to fend a perfon to them who could interpret their book. On his arrival in Philadelphia, and relating the tory, he found that the inhabitants of the Welsh tract had some knowledge of thofe In dians, and that fome Welfhmen had before been amongst them. Remarks on the foregoing. Mr. Binon fays, that thofe Indians had MS books, iron, and fione buildings, amongst them. It appears, by the ac counts that Dr. Williams has collected in his pamphlet lately published (fee pp. 42, 43, & 48), and the information of Mr. Bowles, communicated by Mr. W. Owen (p. 397 of your May Magazine), that feveral others have feen MS books and other writings amongst them. Captain Cook found plenty of iron at Nootka Sound that did not appear to be of European, Spanish-American, or Afiatic manufacture. The Padoucas are in about 110 degrees Weft longitude according to most maps; Nootka Sound is in longitude 125 Weft according to Capt. Meares; fo that the remoteft part of the country inhabited by the Nootka Indians is not above feven or eight hundred miles from the Padoucas; a degree of longitude in the latitude of those countries being not above forty-five equatorial minutes (miles). See the map. By the difcoveries of Captain Meares, it appears that those two Indian nations have an eafy communication with each other by the traits of Juan de Fuca and the river Oregan, which appears to have been discovered as far as ten degrees at least to the East of Nootka. It appears from what fome French and other foreign writers have related, that there exifts, in that part of the Continent where we place the Padoucas, a nation of Indians more civilized than any other on the Continent. In Coxe's Defcription of Louifiana, &c. 1722, it is faid, p. 63 (fee alfo p. 16), that the Baron La Hontan having traced the Miffourie for 800 miles due Weft, found a vast lake, on which inhabited two or three great nations much more civilized than other Indians; and fays, that out of this lake a great river difembogues itfelf into the South-fea. Qu. Does not this river feem to be the Oregan of Capt. Meares? Charlevoix, vol. II. p. 225 of the English translation, mentions a great lake very far to the Weft of the Mithfippi, on the banks of which are a people refembling the French, with buttons on their cloaths, living in cities, and ufing horfes in hunting the buffalo; that they are cloathed with the skins of that animal; but without any arms but the bow and arrow. Bofu, in his Account of Louisiana, vol. 1. p. 182, fays, that he had been informed, by the Indians, of a nation of cloathed people far to the Weftward of the Mithilippi, who inhabited great villages built with white fiones, navigated in great Piragnas on the great falt-water lakes, and were governed by one grand despotic chief, who fent great armies into the field. |