Sir Thomas Whitmore, of Apley, married Elizabeth, the daughter and sole heiress of Sir William Acton, Bart., and by her was father of Sir William Whitmore, Bart., his successor; and Sir Thomas Whitmore, created a Knight of the Bath, at the Coronation of Charles II., but who died before his elder brother, without male issue, when considerable estates, derived from his grandfather, Sir William Acton, descended to Sir William Whitmore, of Apley, who died in 1699, without male issue, by which the title of baronet became extinct. He devised this domain, and other great possessions in this neighbourhood, to his relative, William Whitmore, Esq., of Lower Slaughter, in Gloucestershire, eldest son of Richard Whitmore, Esq., and his wife, Anne Weld, the son of Richard, second brother of Sir Thomas Whitmore, Bart., and his wife, Catharine Deards. This family have represented the Borough of Bridgnorth in several Parliaments, from the reign of James I.

The Mansion, which is built in the Gothic style, on the site of the old Hall House, is of fine white Grindsill stone, with polygonal towers at the angles, and a handsome groined porch of three arches at the entrance, on the eastern front, which leads to the Hall, beyond which is a handsome stone staircase, lighted by a rich canopied window. Of this front we have given a view in Plate I.; and Plate II. represents a distant view, taken from the entrance gate. On the north side of the House is the Dining-room, and on the south the Drawing-room, which commands a beautiful view across the Severn. The south front of the Mansion has, in the centre, a lofty square tower, the lower part of which is open to the Library, and gives a fine effect to the room, which is admirably adapted to its purpose. Adjoining to this is the Chapel, adorned by an appropriate window of brilliant stained glass. The Chamber over it has also a most beautiful oriel, which is much admired. The House is very large, and presents a magnificent appearance: before it is a court, formed by a dwarf wall, having piers at stated distances, and entered by ornamental gates, with iron palisades.

The Grounds are adorned by woods of great extent and beauty; while the river Severn, a view of which is commanded, forms a conspicuous and interesting object. The Terrace, here, is one of the most remarkable spots in the kingdom, rising with hanging woods to a great height above the river, and wide enough for six carriages to pass abreast; it is above a mile in length, having on one side a prospect of the Severn for some miles. On the other side, the country is open to a vast distance, the Wrekin, fifteen miles off, bounding the view at the west. The mansion stands in the parish of Stockton, about four miles and a half from the town of Bridgnorth, and about eighteen from Shrewsbury.

Attingham Hall, Shropshire;

THE SEAT OF

LORD BERWICK.

THE situation of Attingham Hall is peculiarly fine; the river Tern, gliding in front, unites itself with the Severn within view of the Mansion, which is a noble edifice, built from designs by the celebrated Athenian Stuart. It consists of a centre and two wings, connected by corridors, and is adorned by a handsome tetrastyle portico of the Composite order.

The elegant Picture Gallery was erected by the present Lord Berwick, to contain a very fine collection of pictures and statues, as well as Etruscan vases, and other antiquities, chiefly from Herculaneum; also a very curious model of Mount Vesuvius, upon a great scale, made of the materials of the mountain by the late tasteful traveller, Dr. Clarke: this model was constructed with such accuracy of outline, and justness of proportions, that Sir William Hamilton pronounced it to be the best ever produced of the kind, either by foreigner or native. Some of the valuable pictures have been since removed from Attingham, and were disposed of in 1826, including the Virgin and Child, by Murillo, from the Santa Cruz collection; Christ restoring the Blind to Sight, by N. Poussin, formerly in the gallery of Mons. de Calonne; and the Continence of Scipio, by Rubens, from the Orleans collection, one of the finest productions of that master, and which is said to be a companion to a picture by the same artist, in the possession of Lord Darnley.

Attingham Park and Pleasure Grounds were greatly improved under the direction of Repton, who made a new channel for the river Tern, which, rising in the north of the county, is now united with the Severn, immediately in front of the House, having its banks adorned with the most beautiful plantations. The span of the arch of the new Tern bridge, which unites the property on either side of the river, is one hundred feet. The Severn, afterwards, passes under Attingham bridge, and by the ruins of Buildwas Abbey towards Colebrook Dale. Our View is taken in the Park near the bridge. The paternal name of this branch of the family of Hill, was Harwood: Margaret, daughter of Rowland Hill, Esq., of Hawkestone, married Thomas Harwood, Esq., of Shrewsbury; their son assumed the name of Hill, in. right of his mother.

Thomas Hill, Esq., of Tern Hall, as this seat was originally called, many years represented the town of Shrewsbury in Parliament: he married Susanna Maria, the daughter and co-heiress of William Noel, Esq., Judge of the Common Pleas, and died in 1782, aged about ninety. His son and heir, Noel Hill, Esq., was elected in three parliaments M. P. for the county of Salop; and on the 19th May, 1784, was created Lord Berwick, of Attingham. At his death, in 1789, he was succeeded by his eldest son, the present Lord Berwick.

Sir Rowland Hill, Knt., who was Lord Mayor of London in the reign of Edward VI., was one of the richest and most considerable merchants of his time. He performed great acts of generosity, and was an eminent benefactor to the public: besides founding Drayton, and other free schools, he built Stoke and Hodnet churches at his own expense. He was buried in St. Stephen's Walbrook.

THE SEAT OF

THE HON. ROBERT HENRY CLIVE.

THIS mansion. has lately been much improved by its present proprietor, and now contains many excellent apartments within its walls. The Gallery is adorned by marble columns, supporting an entablature, the frieze of which is designed from the celebrated Phigalian marbles discovered by S. P. Cockerell, Esq. The other rooms consist of a handsome Drawing-room, a Library, Billiard-room, and Museum, besides a Gothic Conservatory filled with choice exotics. The Mansion contains several good pictures.

The Grounds, naturally romantic, are laid out with great taste, displaying the beauties of the surrounding scenery to the best advantage; on the southeast is a fine prospect of the town, and noble ruins of the castle of Ludlow, about two miles distant. The home views are enlivened by the meandering of the river Teme, which flows through the Park, and by groups of noble oaks, the remains of a forest, from whence its name was originally derived. Within the Park are also the ruins of Bromfield Priory, an Arch of its Gateway is still standing, and the west-end of its Church is now parochial. This was a Benedictine Monastery, founded at a very early period, for we find that in the year 1155, the canons of Bromfield, by the authority and concurrence of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, granted their Church to the Abbey of St. Peter's at Gloucester, and that King Henry II., about the same time, confirmed all the estates belonging to it, to the Prior and Monks there, serving God. King Henry III., made a like confirmation.

The family of Clive are very ancient in Shropshire, where they have been seated from the reign of Henry II. Arms, Argent, a fess sable, charged with three mullets, or. Crest, a griffin with wings expanded, argent, ducally gorged gules. James Clive, Esq. of Huxleigh, married Catherine, daughter and heiress of Thomas Styche, Esq. of Styche, and was living in the twenty-second year of the reign of Henry VII., his descendant, Richard Clive, Esq., of Styche, M. P. for Montgomery, was the father of Robert Lord Clive, who was born in 1725, at the old family seat of Styche, in the parish of Moreton Say, in this county; and for the extraordinary services he conferred upon his country was created Lord Clive of Plassey, in the county of Clare, in Ireland. His Lordship's eldest son, Edward, the second Lord Clive, was advanced to the British Peerage by the title of Lord Clive of Walcot, in Shropshire, 1794, and farther elevated as Earl Powis, Viscount Clive of Ludlow, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, and Lord Powis of Powis Castle, 12th of May, 1804. His Lordship married Henrietta Antonia, daughter of Henry Arthur, Earl of Powis, and sister and heiress of George Edward Henry Arthur, the last Earl of Powis, of the Herbert family; on whose death in 1801, the title became extinct in that family. By this lady the present Earl of Powis is father of the Right Honourable Edward, Viscount Clive, who is married to Lady Lucy, the daughter of the Duke of Montrose, K. G., and the Honourable Robert Henry Clive, of Oakley Park.