importance, as the scene of a desperate and bloody battle between the
Danes and the Saxons, in 871, commanded by King Ethelred and his brother
Alfred, when the latter were defeated. It was, however, rendered more
famous by the gallant stand made against the parliamentary forces in the
reign of Charles I., by John Poulet, Marquis of Winchester, a lineal
descendant of Hugh de Port, who, at the time of the Domesday Survey,
held 55 lordships in this county. This small village was the principal
of these extensive possessions, and appears to have been the very site
of a castle, as mention of the land of the old castle of Basing is made
in a grant allowed by John de Port, to the neighbouring priory at Monks
Sherborne, in the reign of Henry II. His grandson, William, assumed the
surname of St. John; and Robert, Lord St. John, in the 43d of Henry
III., obtained a license to fix a pole upon the bann of his moat, at
Basing, with permission to continue it so fortified during the pleasure
of the King. In the reign of Richard II., Basing was transferred by
marriage to the Poynings; and again, in the time of Henry VI., to the
Paulets, by the alliance of Constance with Sir John Paulet, of Nunny
Castle, in Somersetshire. Sir William Paulet, Knt., third in descent
from this couple, created Baron St. John, of Basing, by Henry VIII.; and
Earl of Wiltshire, and Marquis of Winchester, by Edward VI., was a very
accomplished and polite nobleman, greatly in favour at court during most
of the successive changes that occurred in the reigns of Henry VIII.,
Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. He held the office of
treasurer nearly 30 years, sustaining himself by the courtly maxim, of
"being a willow, and not an oak." He rebuilt Basing Castle, in a
magnificent, and even in a princely style; indeed, so much so, that
Camden, in allusion to the immense expense of living entailed on his
family by its splendour, observes that, "it was so overpowered by its
own weight, that his posterity has been forced to pull down a part of
it." Here, in 1560, he entertained Queen Elizabeth with "all good
cheer," and so much to her satisfaction, that she playfully lamented his
great age; "for by my troth," said she, "if my Lord Treasurer were but a
young man, I could find it in my heart to have him for a husband before
any man in England." William, the great-grandson of this nobleman, and
fourth Marquis of Winchester, had also, in 1601, the honour of having
Queen Elizabeth for a guest for "thirteen days, to the great charge of
the sayde Lorde Marquesse." During her residence here, the Duke of
Biron, accompanied by about 20 of the French nobility, and a retinue of
about 400 persons, were accommodated at the Vine, the seat of Lord
Sandys, which had been purposely furnished with hangings and plate from
the Tower, and Hampton Court, and with seven score beds and furniture,
"which the willing and obedient people of the countrie of Southampton,
upon two days' warning, had brought in thither to lend the Queen." When
Elizabeth departed from Basing, she affirmed, that "she had done that in
Hampshire, that none of her ancestors ever did; neither that any Prince
in Christendom could do: that was, she had in her progresses, in her
subject's houses, entertained a royal ambassador, and had royally
entertained him." John, son of the preceding, and fifth Marquis of
Winchester, was the brave nobleman who rendered his name immortal by his
gallant defence of Basing House, in the cause of Charles I., during a
tedious succession of sieges and blockades, which, with short
intermissions, continued upwards of two years. The journal of the siege,
printed in Oxford, in 1645, is one of the most eventful pieces of
history during the civil war. The final investment appears to have been
undertaken by Cromwell, who took it by storm, in October 1645, and burnt
it to the ground, in despite of the Aimez Loyaulte, which the Marquis
had written with a diamond in every window, and which has ever since
been the motto of the family arms. The plunder obtained on this occasion
is said to have amounted to L200,000. in cash, jewels, and rich
furniture. The number of soldiers slain before the walls from the
commencement of the siege, is recorded to have been upwards of 2,000.
There is a traditionary report, that the garrison was partly surprized
through some of the troops being engaged at cards when the assault
commenced. From a survey made in 1798, it appears that the area of the
works, including the garden and entrenchments, occupied about fourteen
acres and a half. The form was extremely irregular, the ditches very
deep, and the ramparts high and strong; some of the remains are yet very
bold and striking. The site of the ruins is particularly commanding. The
canal from Basingstoke has been cut through a part of the works, and the
outward entrenchments have been rendered very obscure and imperfect from
recent improvements in the grounds. The brave Marquis, whose property
was reduced to ruin in the cause of his Sovereign, lived to the
restoration, but received no recompence for his immense losses. He died
in 1674, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Charles, who, when he saw
that other men of sense were at their wits' end, in the arbitary and
tyrannical reign of James II., thought it prudent to assume the
character of a madman, as the first Brutus did, in the reign of Tarquin.
He danced, hunted, or hawked, a part of the day, went to bed before
noon, and constantly sat at table all night. He went to dinner at six or
seven in the evening, and his meal lasted till six or seven in the
morning; during which time he ate, drank, smoked, talked, or listened to
music. The company that dined with him were at liberty to rise and amuse
themselves, or to take a nap, whenever they were so disposed; but the
dishes and bottles were all the while standing upon the table. Such a
man as this was thought a very unlikely person to concern himself with
politics, or with religion. By this conduct, he was neither embroiled in
public affairs, nor gave the least umbrage to the court; but he exerted
himself so much in the revolution, that he was, for his eminent
services, created Duke of Bolton: he afterwards raised a regiment of
foot for the reduction of Ireland. Charles, son of the former, and
second Duke of Bolton, assisted in the great work of the revolution; and
was one of the noblemen appointed at Exeter, in November, 1688, to
manage the revenues of the Prince of Orange, as Sovereign of England. In
1717, he was declared Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Charles, the eldest
son, and third Duke of Bolton, filled several high offices in the state.
This nobleman, on the death of his first wife, from whom he had long
been separated, wedded the celebrated Lavinia Beswick, or Fenton, more
known by the name of Polly Peachem, from her celebrity in the
performance of that character in the "Beggar's Opera." The parish church
of Basing is a large, ancient, and curious structure, standing at a
short distance from the site of Basing House, with a tower rising in the
centre. In a niche at the west-end is a figure of the Virgin Mary: the
roof is supported by round arches, springing from massive columns. This
edifice was repaired in 1510, by Sir John Paulet, who, with his father,
John Paulet, Esq., and their respective wives, lie buried beneath two
arched tombs, one on each side the chancel. Beneath the south aisle is
the family vault of the Paulets, in which six Dukes of Bolton, with many
of their noble relations, are deposited. A mural monument has also been
erected in this church to the memory of Francis Russel, Esq., F.R.S. and
F.S.A., a native of Basingstoke, who assisted Mr. Nichols in his History
of Leicestershire. He died in 1795.
[Sidenote: Great battles fought here.]
[Sidenote: Queen Elizabeth splendidly entertained here for 13 days.]
[Sidenote: Burnt by Cromwell.]
[Sidenote: The sixth Marquis of Winchester, a singular character.]
[Sidenote: Polly Peachem.]
Map| Names of Places. |County.| Number of Miles From |
+--+------------------------+-------+------------+-----------+
16|Basingstoke[A] m.t. & p|Hants. |Andover 13|Reading 15|
+--+------------------------+-------+------------+-----------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. |Number of Miles From|Lond.|Population.
+--+------------------------+--------------------+-----+----+
16|Basingstoke[A] m.t. & p|Winchester 17| 46|3581|
+--+------------------------+--------------------+-----+----+
[A] BASINGSTOKE. This large, ancient, and populous town is situated in a
pleasant and well-wooded part of the county, and commands a considerable
trade from its standing at the junction of five great roads. In the
"Domesday Book" it is mentioned as always having been a royal manor, and
as never having paid any tax, nor been distributed into hides: it is
also noticed in that survey as having a market, whose tolls were worth
"thirty shillings": we presume this to have been the weekly
collection--a large sum in those days. From this town a canal was made
to the river Wey, in Surrey; it was commenced in 1778. Its length is
thirty-seven miles and a quarter, and the expense of cutting it amounted
to L100,000. A large portion of this sum was laid out in forming a
tunnel, nearly three quarters of a mile in length, through a hill near
Odiham. Besides corn and flour, coals, timber, manure, and goods of
almost every description are conveyed to different parts of the country
by this channel. The first barge arrived at Basingstoke Wharf in
January, 1794. Among the numerous projected advantages which led to the
formation of the canal, was, the presumed cultivation of Bagshot Heath,
and other heaths within the line of its course. A beautiful ruin
overlooks the town on the north side, called Holy Ghost chapel. This was
founded by Sir William, afterwards Lord Sandys, who with Bishop Fox,
obtained a licence from Henry VIII. to found a brotherhood, to continue
in perpetual succession, for the maintenance of a priest to perform
divine service, and for the instruction of youth in literature. On an
eminence in the vicinity, is an ancient encampment of an elliptical
form, supposed to be British, three thousand three hundred feet in
circumference; it is called "Aubrey Camp," or familiarly "Bury Bank;"
the ditch on the outside is partly filled up by the labours of the
agriculturist; and in Rook's Down, in this neighbourhood, while cutting
a new road in 1831, a number of human skeletons were discovered,
supposed to be of those who fell in some battle fought near this place.
The free grammar school adjoins the venerable ruins of the chapel of the
Holy Ghost; it is an ancient edifice, and is supposed originally to have
been the parish church. This grammar school was first founded by Sir
William Sandys, in connexion with the "Guild of the Holy Ghost," and was
re-established upon the dissolution of that fraternity, by Queen Mary,
in the succeeding reign. There are twelve boys at present on the
foundation. Drs. Jos. Warton, the refined poet and critic, and his
brother Thomas Warton, Poet Laureate, were both educated here, under
their father, Thomas Warton, B.D., Professor of Poetry in the university
of Oxford, a writer of considerable ability. John De Basinge, a learned
Greek scholar, a friend and contemporary of that intelligent historian,
Matthew Paris, was a native of this town. He was a man eminent for piety
and learning, and a perfect master of the Greek and Latin languages--an
eloquent orator--an able mathematician, and a sound divine. Having laid
the foundation of his university learning at Oxford, he went to Paris,
and from thence to Athens; upon his return to England, he brought over
several curious Greek manuscripts, and introduced the use of Greek
numerical figures into this country; and to facilitate the knowledge of
that rich language, which at that remote period was very little known or
appreciated in the western world. He translated from the Greek, into the
Latin, the celebrated Grammar, entitled "The Denatus of the Greeks," and
the learning and piety of this truly good man, recommended him to the
esteem of all the lovers of literature of that time: particularly that
of Robert Grosteste, Bishop of Lincoln, by whom he was promoted from the
Archdeaconry of London, to that of Leicester; he died in 1252. Among
other subjects he wrote a Latin translation of the harmony of the four
Gospels; and it was this learned individual that informed Robert, Bishop
of Lincoln, that he had seen at Athens, a book called "The Testament of
the Twelve Patriarchs," upon which the Bishop sent for it and translated
it into Latin; this valuable MS. was first printed in 1555, and has
often been reprinted in English. At Basingstoke, was also born Sir James
Lancaster, an eminent navigator, who in the reign of Queen Elizabeth,
explored the Arctic Sea. Thomas Warton, the historian of English Poetry,
was descended from an ancient and honorable family in Beverly, County
York, and born at Basingstoke, in 1728; from his infancy he discovered a
vein for poetry, and at the age of nine years he wrote to his sister
that remarkable production of his genius: viz. a translation from the
Latin of Martial:--
"When bold Leander sought his distant fair,
(Nor could the sea a braver burthen bear)
Thus to the swelling waves he spake his woe,
Drown me on my return--but spare me as I go."
This curious document bears date from the school of Basingstoke, Nov.
1737. In March 1773, at the age of sixteen, he was admitted a Commoner
at Trinity College, Oxford, and soon after elected a Scholar. At this
college Mr. Warton continued, with trifling intervals, forty-seven
years. In 1745, he published "The Pleasures of Melancholy." In 1749, in
consequence of a foolish riot occasioned by some of the scholars, Mason,
the Poet, produced a poem called the "Isis," reflecting upon the loyalty
of the college, upon which Mr. Warton immediately wrote the "Triumph of
Isis," a poem of some merit, and a severe commentary upon the other
production. About this time, his talents being generally acknowledged,
he became Poet Laureate, and in 1750 he took a Master's Degree, and in
1751 succeeded to a Fellowship. In 1754 he published his observations on
the "Faerie Queene of Spencer." In 1757, upon the resignation of Mr
Hawkins, of Pembroke College, he was elected Professor of Poetry, which
he held according to the usual custom for ten years. He died, May 21,
1790. Basingstoke is one of the polling places for the northern division
of the county.
_Market_, Wednesday.--_Fairs_, Easter Tuesday, for cheese and cattle;
Whit-Wednesday for pedlary; September 23, for cattle and hiring
servants, Devonport. _Mail_ arrives 12.55 morning; departs 1.48
morning.--_Bankers_, Raggett and Co., draw on Masterman and
Co.--_Inn_, Crown.
[Sidenote: Royal manor.]
[Sidenote: Aubrey Camp.]
[Sidenote: Eminent men born here.]
Map| Names of Places.|County. |Number of Miles From |
+--+-----------------+--------+------------+----------+
24|Basingthorpe pa|Lincoln |Corby 3|Grantham 8|
53|Basingwerk[A] vil|Flint |Holeywell 1|Flint 5|
10|Baslow chap|Derby |Middleton 3|Bakewell 5|
+--+-----------------+--------+------------+----------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places.|Number of Miles From |Lond.|Population.
+--+-----------------+---------------------+-----+----+
24|Basingthorpe pa|Folingham 10| 105| 122|
53|Basingwerk[A] vil|Park Gate 7| 204| |
10|Baslow chap|Chesterfield 10| 158| 863|
+--+-----------------+---------------------+----+-----+
[A] BASINGWERK. This place is chiefly celebrated for the remains of its
ancient abbey; for the vestiges of a house belonging to the Knights
Templars; and for a castle, once the key to this part of the country.
The abbey, which had the names also of Maes-Glas and Greenfield
monastery, is beautifully situated in a meadow between two hills, on the
eastern side of the mouth of the Holywell river. It was founded,
according to Tanner, in 1131, by Ranulph, Earl of Chester; others say in
1150, by Henry II. The abbot was frequently summoned to attend in
parliament by Edward I. and at the dissolution of monasteries, the
annual revenue amounted to L150 7s. 3d. The remains convey an imperfect
idea of the original architecture. The doors and lower arches were
semi-circular and unornamented, the windows were long, narrow, and
pointed; but the south wall of the transept, one doorway, and one
pointed arch, are all that remain of the church, and the offices have
entirely disappeared. At a short distance from the ruins is an oak of
great age, called the Abbot's Oak, which measures fifteen feet two
inches in circumference. But the oaks and elms in this neighbourhood,
though of a large size, appear withered and blasted by the effect of the
channel breezes; the sycamores and maples are the only trees that
flourish; a useful hint to planters. The house for the lay order of the
Knights Templars, was instituted by Henry II., for the purpose of
defence against the inroads of the Welsh, and of this no more than some
portion of the offices remain. Vestiges of the castle are yet visible in
the fragments and foundation of a wall at some distance from the abbey,
on the very margin of Watts-dyke. On a slope among hanging woods, near
the township of Bagilt, stands Bagilt hall, a substantial mansion of
ancient erection, late the seat of Paul Panton, Esq. Mostyn hall, a seat
of Sir Thomas Mostyn, exhibits a variety of interesting features.
Approached by a venerable avenue and a magnificent gateway, it stands in
a small but beautiful park; it consisted originally of a square tower
and two halls, in the larger of which the festive orgies of the baronial
board were performed; but large additions were made in 1631, and many of
its pristine features are defaced. Numerous paintings decorate the
rooms, consisting for the most part of portraits, which illustrate all
the varieties of costume in the several ages of their production; among
the treasures of art are also many unique statues, busts, bronzes, and
other articles of ancient or foreign production. In this neighbourhood
are numerous collieries, the different appearance of which are phenomena
interesting to the geologist. On the summit of a height called Mostyn
mountain, is a monumental stone denominated Maen Achwynfan (the stone of
lamentation). Its form is that of an obelisk; in height twelve feet, and
two feet-four in thickness. It is probably a memorial of the dead slain
in battle; but there appear to be no certain grounds for determining the
period of its formation.
[Sidenote: Ancient Abbey.]
[Sidenote: Mostyn Hall.]
Map| Names of Places. | County. | Number of Miles From |
+--+---------------------+----------+------------+-------------+
26|Bassaleg[A] pa|Monmouth |Newport 3|Cardiff 11|
9|Bassenthwaite pa|Cumberland|Keswick 5|Cockermth 10|
23|Basset House ex.p.lib|Leicester |Leicester 13|Atherstone 8|
6|Bassingbourn pa|Cambridge |Royston 5|Potton 9|
24|Bassingham pa|Lincoln |Newark 9|Lincoln 9|
29|Bassington to|Northumb |Alnwick 4|Eglingham 4|
24|Baston pa|Lincoln |M. Deeping 4|Bourn 4|
27|Bastwick pa|Norfolk |Acle 5|Norwich 9|
35|Baswich pa|Stafford |Stafford 2|Rugeley 8|
12|Batcombe pa|Dorset |Sherborne 10|Cerne 4|
34|Batcombe pa|Somerset |Bruton 3|Shepton 6|
34|Bath[B] city|Somerset |Salisbury 38|Cheltenham 41|
+--+---------------------+----------+------------+-------------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. | Number of Miles From |Lond.|Population.
+--+---------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+
26|Bassaleg[A] pa|Bristol 12| 151| 1664|
9|Bassenthwaite pa|Ireby 8| 296| 549|
23|Basset House ex.p.lib|Lutterworth 11| 100| 23|
6|Bassingbourn pa|Caxton 9| 42| 1446|
24|Bassingham pa|Navenby 7| 133| 704|
29|Bassington to|Whittingham 7| 312| 613|
24|Baston pa|Stamford 9| 93| 709|
27|Bastwick pa|Yarmouth 9| 117| 219|
35|Baswich pa|Penkridge 6| 139| 546|
12|Batcombe pa|Dorchester 12| 127| 178|
34|Batcombe pa|Frome 10| 112| 839|
34|Bath[B] city|Bristol 14| 106| 38063|
+--+---------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+
[A] BASSALEG, a beautiful picturesque little village. In this parish was
a Priory of black monks of the Benedictine order, founded by Robert de
Haye, and Gundreda, his wife, between the years 1101 and 1120. No
remains of this building exist but a ruin in a wood, about one mile
distant from the church, called Coed-y-monachty, which is supposed to
have been part of the structure. At about one mile distant, near the
road to Llanfihangel, is a circular encampment, called Careg-y-saesson,
but almost obscured by underwood. Its name has induced some to attribute
it to the Saxons, but saesson is a term of reproach, which the Welsh
bestow on all foreigners. The entrenchment is a single foss and rampart
of earth. About one mile distant is another of a singular shape, with
loose stones lying in the foss, probably the remains of walls. These
fortresses are apparently British, and a meadow near Machen Place,
called Maes Arthur, records the memory of that celebrated hero. From
Bassaleg to the vale of Machen, the country is undulating and fertile.
This vale is pleasingly sequestered, yet intermixed with wildness and
cultivation. The hills which skirt it are partly covered with herbage,
and partly overhung with thick forests. The Rumney continues the
boundary of the two counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan. This river, with
the church, and Machen hill, almost covered with lime-kilns, give
variety and cheerfulness to the scenery. Machen Place lies at the
commencement of the vale, under the hanging groves of Rupara. A circular
apartment called the hunting-room is decorated with a rich stuccoed
ceiling, representing Diana in the middle, surrounded with seats,
churches, and parties, in twelve compartments.
[Sidenote: Machen place.]